Gallows Humor:Roadkill
by XenaLives
Summary: Paige and Emily hit the road to cross off some items on Paige's bucket list and distance themselves from the events at Rosewood Memorial Hospital. While burning up the back roads in Paige's new car their love grows as they learn about themselves and each other and get mixed up in a small town murder. Rated M for Paige's foul mouth, mild violence and mad sexual shenanigans.
1. Chapter 1

**So, recently, I have been receiving these really nice reviews and messages about how much people were hoping for more stories a long with some nice holiday messages from some of you. Some of them have been from guest reviewers so I have no way to thank you but to do this. It's more or less ready to go and I've been meaning to time it with the start of the second half of the season anyway because it's shaping up to look like we may need to get our Paily feels elsewhere for a while.**

**So, my friends, the long awaited sequel to Gallows Humor. And I hope you all said you wanted lots of sex because these two pretty much cannot keep their hands off each other.**

* * *

"I told you to slow down." Emily sighed dramatically, fully intending for it to express her displeasure as the red and blue lights of the patrol car behind them lit up the charger's interior and the siren whooped several times.

"Fuck!" Paige slammed her good hand on the steering wheel. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." She slowed, hit her hazards and turned down the music as she pulled off onto the shoulder of the quiet back road they were roaring down.

Emily pressed her lips together and shook her head. She was tired and hungry and couldn't hold her tongue. "This is only our first day, Paige." She shot at her. "It's going to be a really long trip if you-"

"Thanks, Emily, I got it." Paige snapped back. She reached across Emily to the glove box, fumbling the latch with the fingertips of her cast hand. "Jesus Christ." She muttered.

"I'll do it." Emily pushed her hand away in exasperation. She didn't feel like making this easier for Paige but she wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. They had been on the road eight hours and were somewhere outside Columbus, Ohio.

They had agreed to take a route through the midwest out as on the return trip they would be going through the southwest to Texas to visit Emily's parents then up the east coast. They had left in the morning without much of a plan beyond that as Paige insisted flying by the seat of their pants was half of the fun. Emily was not having fun at the moment and, suffering from low blood sugar, was going to make sure Paige fully understood that. "We're barely out of Pennsylvania, Paige." She muttered.

"You know what's going to make this a long trip, Emily?" Paige was getting pissed now, too, and turned in her seat to face her. "If you don't lighten up."

Emily's eyebrows shot up. "Lighten up?"

"Yeah, you know-" Paige jumped and whirled around at the sharp rap on the glass of her window. "Shit!" She hit the button to get the window down and squinted as the flashlight beam shone directly in her eyes. "Evening, Officer." She forced a smile.

"Do you know why I pulled you over?" His voice came gruff and nearly disembodied as he kept the powerful beam trained on her in the car.

Paige grimaced. "I'm afraid I may have been exceeding the speed limit a bit."

There was a long pause from the officer. "83 miles an hour." He rumbled. "In a 50." He added sharply.

Paige winced and Emily couldn't contain an snort of satisfaction though she knew, at least in Pennsylvania, Paige could be charged with reckless driving for going so fast.

Her reaction was not missed by the officer and the light flicked to her causing her to blink rapidly. "You have something to add, Ma'am?"

Emily straightened her expression. "No, Sir."

"License and registration." He snapped. "From both of you."

Paige already had hers out and handed the documents to him. She glared at Emily the entire time it took her to dig out her purse and wrestle her license out from behind the little window.

The officer moved the flashlight from them to eye their information. "McCullers." He muttered "Fields..." There was a long pause. "There some reason those names are familiar?"

Paige stiffened though she knew how he had heard their names. The publicity surrounding the events at the hospital and them had been intense and, though, there wasn't going to be a trial it was still very much news and they weren't so far from home yet that it wouldn't still be fresh in people's minds. "Well, it could be that-"

"Hands on the steering wheel!" The officer barked and pinned Paige with the light again. The beam flicked to Emily. "Hands on the dashboard." The officer recognized their names but didn't yet know from where. Perhaps he thought he had apprehended a pair of fugitives.

Paige and Emily complied immediately and sat frozen in their seats, too nervous now to spare time to be annoyed with each other.

"Don't move." The light disappeared as he moved back to the patrol car and they were left in the flickering red and blue. He must not have been too concerned to leave them.

Paige blew out a slow breath. "Jesus Christ."

Emily pinched her lips together tightly and just shook her head, leaning forward against her seatbelt to reach the dash with her hands.

"What do you think he's doing back there?" Paige asked after several minutes.

"Requesting an arrest warrant, probably." Emily snarked.

"What?" Paige blurted, looking at her, wide eyed. "Why? I was only-"

"Paige, I was kidding." Emily couldn't help a laugh at her panic. "He's probably realizing who we are and having a good laugh to himself."

"Oh." Paige faced forward again and chewed her lip silently.

"Miss McCullers. Dr. Fields." The officer was suddenly outside the window again but this time he crouched down and peered in, keeping the light shined away from their eyes so they could see his face. He was older, in his fifties, perhaps, with the deep lines of a man having lead a hard life though his eyes flashed with humor. "This is a very nice car." He began. "I'd hate to see something happen to it like happened to your last. Especially with you two ladies in it."

Paige gaped at him as he handed their documents back in through the window. She jerked up, removing her hands from the wheel after he waggled them in front of her face and took them, handing it all to Emily who had also straightened back into her seat. "Yes, Sir." Paige blurted, finally.

"Slow. It. Down." He said, the humor gone from his expression.

"Yes, Sir." Paige nodded enthusiastically. "I will, Sir." But he was already heading back to his car.

Paige sat, her heart thudding with nerves as he peeled out in front of them and whooped the siren a couple of times.

"Can we go now, please?" Emily sighed. She really hadn't wanted Paige to get into too much trouble but she was worried about how this latest development was going to go to her head.

"Holy shit!" Paige said right on cue and breathed a laugh. "We're like, famous."

"More like infamous." Emily sighed. She turned to Paige and placed a hand on her arm. "Paige, I swear to God, if you don't find us a hotel with a decent room where we can get dinner and a drink in the next half hour I'll be taking the bus back to Rosewood."

Paige gulped and started the car believing Emily was very serious. "I'm on it." Tires squealed as she pulled onto the road.

* * *

"Is this okay?" Paige glanced, nervously to Emily as they walked into the small roadside pub across the parking lot from the motel they had checked into.

It was dim, with outdated interior, dark wood paneling and red faux leather booths. Barry Manilow's _Mandy_ sang softly from the overhead speakers. There were a few older men at the bar watching an historical NFL game and nursing drinks. There were a few groups seated for dinner, one man alone, a young couple and a family with three exhausted and rowdy children who were just finishing up. All travelers, no doubt.

Emily smiled and laced her fingers with Paige's down by her side. "This is perfect." She moved toward an empty booth sliding into it, gratefully, pleased to be out of the car.

Paige slid in across from her. "I'm sorry if I was a jerk earlier." She smiled, hesitantly.

"If?" Emily reached for the plastic menu at the end of the table and flipped it open. "_If_ there is a bacon, cheddar burger on the menu all will be forgiven." Emily teased. Sort of.

Paige sent up a silent prayer and opened her own menu. Hiding her sigh of relief at the impressive burger selections at a place so small and off the beaten path. Paige wanted to avoid major highways as much as they could to really get the feel of the country.

They both ordered burgers, fries, beer and water. Paige remained relatively quiet throughout trying to gauge if Emily was upset with her or not. She was going to wait for her to take the lead. She knew she had been an ass and it was not a good start to the trip.

The drinks came and Paige's eyes widened over the rim of her glass as Emily drained half her pint in one go. A move far more characteristic for her. "Is everything okay?" Paige asked, hesitantly.

"I know you want this to be a real adventure, a real fly by the seat of our pants trip and I totally don't want to cramp that for you at all." Emily began. "But I have two requests and, stop frowning because they are not unreasonable at all and, in fact, are smart and safe and make good sense." Emily finished as she ran out of breath.

Paige couldn't help the furrowed brow that etched her features. She wanted this to work so badly but she knew they were taking a huge risk here. They hadn't know each other at all long and they, in effect, by taking this trip had moved in together. Things could go sideways very quickly. "I'm listening." She was imagining, all of the sudden, Emily's high maintenance side coming out or Emily cataloguing all the things about Paige that annoyed her.

"Please, stop frowning." Emily repeated and lowered her voice as their food was delivered. "I only ask that we limit our time in the car to eight hours a day max and we make every possible effort to stop for real meals because while you may actually be able to live off of pork rinds and ring dings or whatever that crap is called, which I'm highly suspicious may not even be organic, I actually need protein and vegetables and I'm not opposed to carbs, for sure." She stopped and waited for Paige's reaction while pouring salt and ketchup on her fries, finishing her beer and waving for the server's attention to order two more, though Paige had barely touched hers yet.

Paige blinked at her. "Um." She shook her head slightly. That was not at all what she had expected and, as Emily had said, totally reasonable and smart. "Is that all?"

"Yes, Paige." Emily took an enormous bite of her burger and smiled around her mouthful. "That's all so will you relax, please, and drink your beer and eat your food?"

"Okay, yeah, we can do that." Paige hid a shaky laugh behind of her beer. "Jesus, I thought you were really mad at me." She flipped the bun off the top of her burger and slathered it in ketchup.

"Well." Emily washed down her mouthful with water. "I wouldn't have minded seeing you get a ticket because it was well deserved and I know you can afford it." She eyed Paige. "And you, of all people, know what our bodies would have looked liked wrapped around a tree and so do I."

Paige hung her head and winced at Emily's scolding. "Yeah, sorry."

Emily shrugged. "I'm not a total prude about it and if you ever let me drive you'd know that…" Emily trailed off considering. "Make that three conditions. I know you're excited about your car and everything but I do not approve of you doing all the driving. It's not safe, for one."

Paige's head dropped even lower as Emily went on.

"And." Emily reached across the table to cover Paige's hand with her own to get her attention. "It's not fair." Her mouth quirked in a smile hopefully letting Paige know she wasn't angry.

Paige sighed. "Anything else?"

"Nope." Emily grinned and popped a french fry into her mouth. "And will you, please, stop looking so miserable?" Emily waited expectantly but Paige still moped. "Fine." She snatched the menu off the table again and flipped it to the desserts. "I'm going to order this for you." She tapped the menu at German Chocolate Cake with one hand and waved the server over with the other. "And I won't even ask for a bite."

Paige couldn't help a laugh and eyed the picture. "It does look really good."

"That's better." Emily smiled. "Are we friends again?"

Paige worked on her burger with renewed enthusiasm. "Friends don't go down on each other." She grinned, her mouthful of food, fortunately, muffling her reply.

Emily gaped at her. "I can't believe you just said that."

Paige just shrugged, unconcerned. "So, have you decided what you want to see in Columbus, Ohio tomorrow?"

Emily was happy to change the subject and pulled the battered copy of Roadside America's Guide to Offbeat Tourist Attractions Paige had picked up at a garage sale years ago. "I have, actually." She flipped open the book, jamming back in a few pages that fell out as she rifled through them. "Topiary French People." She pointed to the entry. "It's a park, open early and free."

Paige glanced at the entry, her lips pursed and brow furrowed.

Emily sighed. "What now?"

"Nothing." Paige shrugged. "I mean, I love the park idea but, I don't know, it's the French part that kind of turns me off."

Emily sat back and stared at her. "I'm not even sure where to start with that." She narrowed her eyes at Paige. "You do know what topiary means right? We're talking about shrubbery here, not actual people and certainly not French people or shrubbery, for that matter." Emily cocked her head. "And what, exactly, do you have against the French? Have you ever even been to France?"

"Yes, I know what topiary is and I don't have anything against France." Paige explained as if this should be obvious. "I think the French would have something against me. It's why I'll never go to France. They won't like me."

"That makes no sense, Paige." Emily fought a smile. "You won't go to France or even visit a park with shrubs landscaped into French people because of your totally imagined insecurities about how you'd be perceived by actual French people?"

Paige pressed her lips together in a thin line. "Well, when you put it like that."

"I'll tell you what." Emily started to laugh now at Paige's total ridiculousness. "It sounds to me like this park is exactly what you need to begin to overcome your francophobia. We'll start off slow-"

"Alright, alright." Paige held up her hand to stop her. "Your point is well made. French people shrubbery it is."

"No wait." Emily laughed harder. "I think I may be on to something here. Psychiatrists everywhere need to hear about topiary therapy for phobias. I mean you could do spiders and snakes and, oh my God, clowns!" Emily cracked up.

Paige shook her head in defeat. "Check, please." She called.


	2. Chapter 2

**Aw, you guys are the bomb! Thank you so much for such an awesome welcome back! Reading all your reviews and messages and being excited about this story really makes it all worth doing so, warmest thank yous from the bottom of my heart.**

**I got excited about getting this story up for you in time to get this chapter posted tonight because...well, you know why. So, maybe, save it to read after the episode or read it once now and then again after. In any case, I hope it take some of the sting out of what I expect is going to be a real knife to the gut.**

**I meant to put up a bunch of disclaimers and I forgot last night.**

**The places in the story are real but totally fictionalized by me because I have never been to them so, forgive the inaccuracies if you have. Except the town in Colorado. I totally made that up a la Rosewood. It totally does not exist except in my head.**

**I'm sure I'll have more to say as we go along but, for now, I hope you enjoy and please, hit me up with the reviews and messages. I always love to hear from you all. Happy New Year!**

**XL**

* * *

"This will do." Emily said as she investigated the room. She hadn't spent any time in it before as she was too interested in eating.

There were two queen beds with enormous headboards and covered with horrid floral bedspreads but, as she bounced her hands on one, felt comfortable enough. The bathroom was basic but spacious and clean. There was a coffee maker and coffee, a television and plenty of towels. They were only staying one night.

Paige flung her bag onto the bed with Emily's and flopped dramatically onto her back on the other, crossing her arms behind her head. "Do we get to have makeup sex now?" She waggled her eyebrows.

Emily's mouth twisted into an incredulous smile. "Were we fighting?"

"Hmmm, more of a disagreement, I guess." She placed her finger against her chin in mock contemplation. "A quarrel?" She offered.

Emily decided to play along and belly flopped onto the bed next to Paige. "A squabble?" She smiled playfully. "A tiff?"

"Ohh, I like that one." Paige nodded. "What kind of sex to you get to have following a tiff?"

"Dirty motel room sex?" Emily suggested.

Paige frowned. "Is that dirty _room_ or dirty _sex_?"

Emily looked around again, pretending to consider. "I think the room passes muster so you'll have to settle for dirty sex."

"Gah!" Paige threw her arm across her face. "You can't make me!"

Emily took the bait with pleasure and jumped up to straddle Paige, pinning her arms above her head, gripping her cast arm gently. "Oh, I bet I can." She lowered her head, her lips skimming across Paige's for the briefest of kisses before pulling away again and again.

Paige hummed her approval and shifted beneath her already feeling the tightening between her legs. Emily could wind her up by flossing her teeth. "Did you check to see how thin the walls are?" Paige grinned.

Emily trailed kisses down behind her ear, her neck and across her collarbone. "Do you care?" She murmured and released her hands to slide down her chest and slip up under Paige's shirt, grazing her fingertips across her belly, feeling the hard muscles jump beneath her touch.

Paige sucked in a breath. "Nope." She twined the fingers of her left hand through her hair and pulled Emily to her mouth, finally, for a proper, open mouthed, teeth crashing kiss.

She was still figuring out what to do with her useless, cast right hand and had decided the best thing was just to keep it out of the way as much as possible. This realization coming after she'd smacked Emily giving her a bloody nose the other night. It was going to be a long six to eight weeks though Emily had no complaints over Paige's skill with her left.

Emily helped Paige out of her t-shirt and, expertly unclasped her bra while raining kisses and nips across her chest and down lower, running a firm tongue around her navel as she unbuttoned her jeans and jerked them down over her hips leaving Paige to kick them off the rest of the way.

Paige groaned, raising her arms above her head, totally in favor of letting Emily go to work on her as she knew Emily loved to do. In a few short weeks with Emily and Paige had discovered her inner bottom.

Emily took a breath, sitting back on her heels to peel off her top and wriggle out of her jeans while sitting astride Paige while Paige watched her with hooded, glassy eyes and a dopey smile.

Paige's eyes widened as Emily flicked her bra clasp and her full, perfect breasts sprang free and hovered just above her. She raised her hands and brushed across Emily's nipples with her fingertips, hardening them instantly and sending streaks of heat through her groin.

Emily let her play for a moment, grinding her hips against Paige now separated only by thin, damp and hot cotton briefs before clasping Paige's hands in her own and pressing them back to the bed over her head. "You know how I hate being distracted." Emily said huskily and slid her hands firmly down Paige's chest, kneading her breasts and rolling her nipples hard between her fingers.

Paige nearly came on the spot and arched as her belly tightened and fire raced through her core at Emily's words and touch. "Do you worst." She hissed through clenched teeth.

Emily descended on Paige with her mouth, sucking one nipple between her teeth while still pinching and twisting the other to an impossibly hard point. Emily laughed and bit down as Paige yelped and writhed beneath her, her breath coming hard and fast now.

"Tell me how you want it." Emily murmured as she slid a hand down and slipped her fingers under the waistband of Paige's panties. "Hard and fast?" She plunged a single finger in and out of her so fast Paige barely had time to jerk in response. "Or soft and slow?" She circled that same finger, slick with Paige's arousal, around her clit ever so slightly.

"Oh, fuck." Paige breathed, her breath hitching and turning into an hysterical laugh. "Can you do hard and slow?" Paige felt like she was about to explode with need but she wanted it to last a little longer. A lot longer. Forever.

"Bold choice, McCullers." Emily chuckled and set her teeth to Paige's nipples again as she continued to circle her clit. She was rewarded with a surge of warm wetness as Paige's arousal went to the next level.

"Holy shit." Paige groaned, her hips straining against Emily's delicate touch searching for more, her body on fire. "How do you do that?"

"Maybe you're just easy." Emily teased and toyed with her a moment more.

"No shit." Paige gasped, her back arching.

"Don't worry." Emily purred as she parted her and plunged three fingers to the hilt. "I'll make it last."

Paige's eyes flew open, a strangled sound coming from deep within her as Emily filled her, pushing into her and curling her fingers against her walls. "Oh, my, God...right there…" She choked out.

Emily thrust in and out of Paige deep and slow, just as she'd promised, as Paige's hips rocked into her hand with every stroke so hard the bedsprings squeaked and the headboard banged against the wall keeping rhythm.

Emily started to laugh. "Oh, shit." She breathed and softened her pace to lessen the banging.

"Don't you fucking dare…" Paige gasped as Emily slowed.

Emily gritted her teeth and resumed her pace. Maybe she just wouldn't let it go on too long. Paige groaned as she felt her muscles contract tightly around her hand. She was close.

"Harder." Paige growled, her eyes rolling back. "Oh, fuck!" She cried as Emily drove into her again and again, adding the weight of her hips behind each stroke and rocking with her.

The banging crescendoed as Paige's hips jerked wildly, her orgasm exploding with the heat of a thousand suns, tearing a breathless groan from her throat, her body spasming with release before she collapsed onto the bed, a sweaty, mindless heap.

Emily eased out of her dropped next to her with a laugh. "Oh, my, God, Paige." She giggled. "Somebody is going to complain."

Paige panted, her body tingling and shuddering with aftershocks. "Let them." She sighed. "They're just jealous."

Emily laughed into the pillow. "You're not falling asleep are you?" She asked finally when she felt Paige go still next to her.

"Thinking about it." Paige mumbled languidly.

"Well." Emily picked up Paige's left hand and placed it firmly on her breast. "Think about this instead."

Paige cracked an eye and kneaded Emily's amazing breasts, first one then the other, mentally cursing her lack of two hands. "I must be dreaming." She joked.

Emily breathed a laugh. "Less bad jokes. More dirty motel sex." She demanded and rubbed her body along Paige's pressing herself up against and making sure she could feel the damp heat between her legs. Nothing got Emily hotter than getting Paige off like that.

Paige rolled on top of her and covered her mouth with her own in a bruising kiss as she worked over Emily' s breasts and nipples without mercy. They were as sensitive as they were gorgeous and though it hadn't happened yet Paige was certain she could make her come by stimulating her breasts alone. Tonight though, she didn't have the patience and attacked Emily with the ferocity of a honey badger. The headboard banged against the wall.

* * *

Emily's eyes popped open to the sound of labored breathing and counting nearby. She rolled her eyes to the bedside table. The numbers on the motel issued clock read 6:17 am. She rolled across the otherwise empty bed and peered over the side to see Paige, wearing nothing but a sports bra and compression shorts, doing sit ups on the floor in front of the door.

Her arms were tucked loosely behind her head and she was facing the bed so Emily had a perfect view of her tight abs as she crunched up. Paige kept breathing and counting but her mouth quirked in the beginnings of a smile when she saw Emily watching her.

"You've sure got a lot of energy after last night." Emily mused, admiring her form.

"Gotta...work...off...those...ring dings…" Paige panted every time she crunched up.

Emily loved Paige's body and could feel a tingling between her legs already as she watched her. "Mmmm." She moaned and turned away. "Stop exercising so near me."

Paige snorted. "Don't...make...me...laugh…" She breathed out heavily. "...48...49…50.." She draped her hands across her knees and sucked in a breath.

"Done already?" Emily asked disappointedly.

"Shut it." Paige pushed herself to her feet. "I'm actually going to go for a run." She rooted in her bag for socks and her running shoes.

Emily frowned for a moment before a thought struck her. "Wait." She threw the covers off and strode to the bathroom, scooping up her bag along the way. "I'll come with you."

Paige froze in the middle of tying her shoe to watch Emily's naked hips swish across the room. She swallowed heavily. "Okay." She squeaked. She never got tired of seeing that.

"I have an idea." Emily called from the bathroom over the flushing of the toilet. "Let's drive out to the park and take a run there." She laughed behind the door. "I'm sure the topiary French people won't be overly offended."

Paige sighed heavily. She was never going to hear the end of this. "Sounds good." She chose to ignore it in hopes it would go away faster. "Then breakfast?"

"Yes." Emily opened the door dressed in her workout gear. "I'm sure you need the chance to undo all your hard work with something like chocolate chip pancakes or eggs benedict."

"Mmmm." Paige licked her lips. "Don't be hatin' on my fast metabolism."

They stepped out into the hallway just as the door next to them opened and the family with three kids from the pub poured out into the hallway wrestling with bags and sniping at each other about shoes being untied, whose turn it was to sit in the middle and what time they were going to get there, the kids' parents looking harried and exhausted.

All talk stopped when they saw each other and the father, in his early forties gaped at them, his eyes flicking back and forth over Paige and Emily in a flash of surprised shock followed by delighted understanding. His comical expression of awe and desire written clearly on his face. "Whoa." He mouthed.

His wife's lip curled into a sneer of contempt as she looked them over, dressed in tight fitting spandex, young, energetic and well rested. She swatted her husband on the arm and hustled the kids, two boys and a girl, who were giggling unashamedly, down the hall. "Did you hear all that banging last night?" She snarked on her way by.

Emily slapped a hand to her mouth in horror and Paige went slack jawed as they watched them disappear down the hallway. "Holy shit." Paige breathed finally. "We are such assholes."

Emily couldn't agree more but could only laugh at the absurdity of the encounter, making a vow to be more considerate in the future.

* * *

"I'm done." Emily panted and jogged to a stop, doubling over with her hands on her knees. "How far was that?" They had been running for almost 30 minutes.

Paige jogged in place and checked her watch. She wasn't running at her usual pace as Emily was slower so the count might not be accurate. "Three and half miles about." She had clocked them at about an eight minute mile and she typically ran a six.

Emily frowned at her noticing she was barely out of breath, all of the sudden hating Paige's superior fitness. "I'm going to head into the park." She nodded in the direction of the topiary French people they had been running circles around for half an hour. "Are you coming?" She asked hopefully.

Paige checked her watch again to stall. She had loved running with Emily but didn't yet feel she had gotten the workout she wanted. "I'm going to…" She trailed off swirling her finger around in the air to indicate laps around.

Emily sighed. "Holding you back am I?"

Paige swooped in and kissed her awkwardly while still jogging in place. "I won't be long." She took off at a pace, to Emily, that looked like a sprint.

A half hour later Paige caught up to Emily as she strolled through the fabulous landscape of topiary designs based on the famous painting _A Sunday Afternoon On the Isle of La Grande Jatte _by George Seurat. Paige was reading the brochure over Emily's shoulder and was pleasantly surprised to see she was familiar with the painting.

Knowing a bit more about it now Paige looked on it with renewed interest. It really was quite amazing and she was happy for the walk to cool down. Even more happy after Emily reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together as they strolled along talking, admiring and laughing about the landscape.

"So, I know it's early." Emily began. "But, do you think I'm the right person for you to be taking this trip with?"

Paige cracked up until she felt Emily stop and turn to face her. "Wait." Paige breathed a laugh. "You're serious?"

Emily raised her eyebrows, expectantly.

"Emily." Paige dropped her hand and wrapped her arms around her cradling the back of her neck in her good hand. "I'm stupid in love with you." Paige laughed. "I mean, Em, you're the right person for me to get a root canal with."

It was Emily's turn to laugh. She wasn't feeling insecure, exactly, but this trip was a big deal for Paige and she wanted it to be everything she had imagined. She was just checking in. "Stupid in love, huh?."

Paige leaned in and kissed her soundly on the mouth. "Now, will you quit worrying and please feed me?"


	3. Chapter 3

Three days later Paige sat, bare feet up on the dash, flipping through the tour book for Kansas while Emily drove. She was adamant they use the internet as little as possible. She liked the feel of crinkling and dogearing pages. She even took notes in the margins of places they had been or things she still wanted to see.

Paige looked up and waited for a road sign to let her know where they were then consulted the map. They were a few hours past Kansas City where they had spent quality humiliating time getting through the Glass Labyrinth at the Museum of Art, which was particularly hysterical and doing a drive by and stop for a few photos with the Star Wars At At Walker mailbox.

Paige smiled to herself at Emily's dramatic eye roll and furious blush of embarrassment when Paige stopped an elderly woman walking her dog and asked her to take a picture of them with the mailbox. Priceless.

Before Kansas City they spent some time at the Indianapolis, Indiana Medical History Museum and had lunch at the Slippery Noodle Inn to soak up some of the awesome history and get a look at bullet holes in the walls supposedly made by the Dillinger gang during the prohibition era.

Paige felt peaceful and excited all at the same time. Emily was an exceptional traveling companion. Easy going and able to be spontaneous but not afraid to call Paige out on her shit when she needed it. Their conversations were stimulating and silences comfortable. Their days were relaxed and filled with laughter and stories and their nights were, more often than not, filled with the pleasure of each other.

"Did you pack something to wear to dinner?" Paige blurted out of nowhere. She turned the stereo down. As the roads got more and more country so had the music, to set the mood, Paige insisted. Emmylou Harris rocked the charger so loud she could feel it in her molars.

Emily flicked her eyes to her. "Several, yes." Her mouth quirked into a smile. "Why?"

"I'm ready for a break from Red Roof Inns and No tell Motels." She drummed her hands on the map as she traced their route and checked the clock doing some mental math. "I want to take you out." She grinned. "And if we hustle, and skip lunch if you don't mind, we can be there by three or so. Plenty of time to rest up, clean up and paint the town red."

Emily could feel Paige's excitement and smiled along with her. She was all in favor of going a little fancy for once. "I'm in." She looked over at her. "Where are we going?"

Paige jabbed a finger into the map. "Dodge City." She shouted over the song as she turned the music back up. "Yeeee Haaaaw!"

* * *

"Whoa." Emily breathed as she stepped into their suite and dropped her bag. It wasn't outrageous but it was the nicest, by far, hotel room she had ever been in. The door opened into a large sitting area with sofa and chairs, kitchenette, bar and flat screen. To the right down a short hallway was an even larger bedroom with king size bed and heavy wood post headboard made to look like a split rail fence, the walls adorned with western prairie art.

The bathroom was large with plenty of room for the double vanity, glassed in shower and whirlpool soaker tub. It was nice and Emily no longer regretted skipping lunch to get here so fast. She could not wait to get in that tub.

Paige, once she had decided they were splurging, had spared no expense and was busy popping the cork on the bottle of champagne she had requested be chilling in their room.

They had checked in to the hotel adjacent to the Boot Hill Casino. Paige had big plans for them tonight and she kicked it off by overflowing two champagne flutes and handing one to Emily. "To roughing it." She winked and clinked her glass with Emily's before tossing back her drink.

Emily raised an eyebrow at her. "Careful." She teased. "The night is young."

"Don't you even worry." Paige laughed as she refilled her glass.

"Mmm hmm." Emily hummed, skeptically. Paige was wired with excited energy tonight and Emily was equally as nervous as she was excited to see what they would get up to. She hefted her bag and her champagne and moved into the bedroom.

"I'm filling this tub and getting in it." She called from the bathroom over the sound of the running water. "Are you going to join me?"

"Um." Paige bounced up and down on her toes in the other room. She knew how that was likely to end up. Though they had plenty of time she had too much energy and didn't feel like relaxing or falling asleep. She would save that for later. Much later. "I don't think so." She finished her second glass. "I'm going to..." She trailed off.

Emily stood in the doorway to the bedroom wrapped in a towel that barely covered her from breast to upper thigh. "Going to what?" She asked with a teasing smile.

Paige shook her head with a smile, wagging her finger at her. "I will not fall prey to your wicked ways, Evil Temptress." She backed away toward the door. "I'm heading down to the lobby for a bit. Enjoy your bath."

Emily shrugged and turned back to the bathroom. "You can't touch this." She called over her shoulder and did a little Hammer dance on the way. She was rewarded with laughter as Paige slipped out the door.

The elevator opened up back into the lobby and Paige strolled through again slowly, looking up at the enlarged black and white period photos on the walls, western patterned carpets and cowhide covered stools. She wandered down a level and was impressed with the indoor pool and large, modern gym. One or both of which she planned to spend some quality time in tomorrow.

She came back up and eyed the bar again, a few guests were already enjoying cocktails, despite it not even being 5:00 yet. She considered joining them as she headed back out to the car for one more thing.

She hadn't worn in them a in a long time, a souvenir for herself from her trip to Vegas with some friends for an elaborate 21st birthday party thrown by a college friend whose family had pots of money. She dug a small bag out of the trunk, a pair of black, round toed Justin boots with subtle, white contrast stitching. She had worn them for a year straight and they were supple and well broken. She slung the bag over her shoulder and headed to the bar.

Emily was at the dressing table mirror outside the bathroom by the time Paige returned, having made one more stop at the hotel gift shop. Emily wore a hotel provided terry cloth robe, her head wrapped in a towel while she skillfully applied eyeliner. She rolled an eye to Paige. "Hey, what have you been up to?"

Paige came up behind her and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Have I ever told you how much I love hotels?" She kissed her on the cheek.

Emily cocked an eyebrow at her in the mirror as Paige breathed her most recent drink all over her. "And hotel bars?"

"Jealous?" Paige mocked.

"Maybe." Emily admitted. "Why don't you pour me another glass of champagne. That is, if you haven't finished it already." Paige was obviously ready to party and Emily did not want to be left behind

"Funny." Paige disappeared and returned a moment later with glass for Emily, setting it on the counter next to her. "I'm going to jump in the shower." She slipped a hand down inside Emily's robe, brushing over her breasts. " A long, hot shower."

"Hey." Emily jerked the eye pencil away from her face and smacked Paige's hand with a playful frown. "You had your chance, woman. That ship has sailed."

Paige pouted comically. "For now."

"For now." Emily agreed with a smile.

Paige could hear music playing softly in the other room when she came out of the bathroom. She was getting hungry but she took her time getting dressed and drying her hair, brushing it out and curling it to put a little wave in it.

She stood in front of the mirror and stepped into her boots before slipping her new souvenir around her neck, arranging it against her collar.

Emily stood at the window sipping champagne waiting for Paige. She was ready to get out of the room and tried to think back to the last time she had had a real night out. She and Paige had spent a lot of time together but it had been solving the mystery of a friends death and, when they weren't doing that, it was staying in, just the two of them. Aside from their night at the Hungry Owl, which Emily didn't think counted, and whatever meals they had had out on the road they had not been out on a date. She was looking forward to it but, as the door to the bedroom opened and she turned to see Paige step out, she feared they may not make it out of the room after all.

Paige wore expertly tailored, black, low rise tuxedo pants with a slightly flared leg and black satin trim down the sides and at the pockets and waist. Her white button down shirt fitted her perfectly, narrowing at her hips with a wide collar, open suggestively low. Hung loosely around her neck, below the collar, was a bolo tie on a black, braided, leather cord with a simple silver and onyx clasp. Beneath the hem of her pants poked the toes well worn cowboy boots.

Emily's lips parted slightly and she felt color rise in her cheeks as she unabashedly appraised her from across the room, the heat of desire warming her core. She let out a slow breath. "You look incredible." She breathed finally.

Paige blushed, partly at the compliment and partly in reaction to her own arousal. Emily was stunning in a sapphire blue, fitted, embroidered lace cocktail dress with black satin underlay. Her hair was teasingly messy and cascading around her shoulders. The V neckline showcased her figure artfully and Paige wondered, briefly, how fast she could get her out of that dress.

They hadn't yet talked about it but it had crossed Paige's mind, on more than one occasion, that they would be traveling through parts of the country whose people may be far less accepting of their relationship than they were accustomed to and she wondered how she would handle that if or when it happened. Right at this moment Paige couldn't care less and thought, if anyone stared it wouldn't be because Emily was with another woman it would be because she was simply breathtaking.

She closed the distance between them slowly, never taking her eyes off her. "You are intoxicating." Paige grinned, taking the champagne flute from her hand and setting it on the window sill.

"I think that's actually all the drinks you've had." Emily teased and brushed a finger over the clasp on Paige's tie. "Where did this come from?"

"The gift shop." Paige furrowed her brow. "Too much?"

"On anyone else, maybe." Emily gave it a gentle, experimental tug to pull Paige nearer. "On you it's…" She searched for a word and failed. "...really hot." She finally said and brushed her lips across Paige's.

Paige let herself be pulled in and slipped her arms around Emily's waist, splaying the fingers of her left hand over the small of her back and holding her close to deepen their kiss. "Maybe we should just stay in." She mumbled around Emily's mouth.

"No way." Emily kissed and nipped at her lower lip. "I can't remember the last time I got dressed up to go out. We should do it more often."

"Hmmm." Paige hummed and pulled away, trailing kisses down Emily's neck and across her chest. "Only if I get to help you out of this dress later tonight."

"Oh, that I can promise." Emily said a little breathlessly, her heart thudding a little harder as Paige's hand slid up her back to the back of her neck, pulling her in to devour her mouth once again.

Paige pulled away, her eyes alight with desire, and grinned wickedly as she looked at her. " You're sure you don't want to just order room service?" Paige tried again.

Emily stepped back from her with a laugh. "This was your idea." She reminded her. "You said you were taking me out and I expect that to be exactly what you do." She grabbed up a small black purse and headed for the door. "Let's go, I'm hungry."


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh man, drinks tonight after work so the post is late.**

* * *

Emily had ordered the wine and swirled the taste the server had poured for her around in her glass before taking a sip and rolling it around on her tongue and swallowing. "That's perfect, thank you." She gave the man a nod.

They were seated in a quiet corner of the casino restaurant which was just beginning to fill up. Paige leaned back in her chair, taking in the room. It was relatively casual and they were, by far, the most elegantly dressed of the diners. The old west theme was even more pronounced as folks stopped in Dodge City for one reason, cow skulls, native patterned rugs and wild prairie landscapes. Paige loved it and wanted to see more.

"Tomorrow we should go into town and check out some of the museums and history." Paige suggested excitedly as she sipped her wine.

"Sounds like fun." Emily replied and eyed her. "You seem way more into this…" She shrugged. "...culture than than just passing tourist interest."

Paige shrugged, pressing her lips together to hide an embarrassed smile. "I've always thought had I been born in another time I would've been a cowgirl."

Emily's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah." Paige shrugged and nodded. "Cattle drives, saloons, gambling and outlaws."

Emily laughed. "Hardship, disease, drought and famine."

Paige frowned and pouted. "Don't be raining down on my fantasy."

"You're right, I'm sorry." Emily said just in time for the server to come by and take their order. Steaks, of course. "And I could totally see you as a cowgirl. All dusty stetson, spurs and six shooter." Emily laughed, picturing Paige in the role. She _could_ see it, too, and picturing Paige's ass framed by a pair of worn leather chaps and she nearly had to excuse herself.

"You're there, too." Paige's mouth curved into a slow smile. "Working the ranch, hot and sweaty as you ride along the fence line and tend to your herd."

Emily's eyes glittered with amusement and arousal as she listened to Paige paint a vivid picture of what their life would look like in the wild west. Paige spared no detail and Emily found herself almost longing for a chance to live in Paige's fantasy world.

Their food arrived, snapping them both out of the dream. Emily laughed. "You've put a lot of thought into this."

Paige shrugged. "Either that or a pirate."

Paige split the last of the wine between them and sat back with her glass enjoying as the warmth of the wine, the food and the company tingled across her skin. The food was delicious and it was with great effort that she managed not to overeat. "Would you like anything else or are you ready to get out of here?"

"Nothing else for me." Emily answered. "I'm ready to go. What's next?" She asked in anticipation.

Paige grinned. "How do you feel about gambling?" She signed the bill to the room and they were off.

The casino, like all casinos, was a cacophony of light and sound. The music from overhead speakers, slots shuffling and ringing out, the roulette wheels spinning, dealers, dressed in western wear, calling out hands all against the backdrop of excited, hopeful, desperate, raucous, celebratory voices of gamblers trying their luck and skill and servers wending their way through the crowd announcing the arrival of _cocktails._

Paige laced her left hand with Emily's right as they worked their way through. It was vast with a maze of slot machines taking up a third of the space and the rest filled with gaming tables, the cashier's office and the bar.

"Have you ever been to a casino?" Paige asked.

"No, never." Emily's eyes swept the room. "It's insane."

Paige laughed. "This is nice but pretty small compared to Vegas or Atlantic City or even the stand alones like Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun."

"You do this a lot?" Emily asked surprised.

"Hardly ever." Paige shook her head almost regretfully. "But I love it. The excitement and expectation reminds me almost of live sporting events and gambling really brings out my competitive side. It's why I only do it on _very_ special occasions." She squeezed Emily's hand.

"So, what do we do?" Emily asked excitedly.

"Let's get a drink and hit the slots for a bit." She stopped and turned Emily toward her, her eyes shining with laughter. "It's like foreplay."

* * *

"Oh, my, God, I won!" Emily shrieked and threw her arms around Paige's neck, kissing her hard on the mouth as lights flashed and bells clanged on her machine. Several people at nearby slots clapped and a few people stared openly as Emily and Paige celebrated, intimately. A five hundred dollar jackpot wasn't going to put the kids through college but it was a solid return on a twenty dollar investment.

"What's next?" Emily was bursting with energy as she waved a one hundred dollar bill under Paige's nose. She had cashed in her winnings because she wanted to hold the money.

Paige grinned, pleased she was having such a good time, and slipped a hand around her waist. "How about you pay for the next round and stake me a hundred bucks to play blackjack?"

Emily considered this for a moment. "What do I get out of it?" She asked and batted her eyes.

Paige grinned. "Give me an hour and then I'll take you dancing." She offered.

Emily beamed. "Done." She tucked the bill into Paige's waistband and waved over a server, ordering them another round as they moved to the blackjack tables.

A half hour later Emily stood over Paige's shoulder sipping a gin and tonic and trying not to laugh. Paige, while winning a hand occasionally, had far more steadily lost her pile of chips. Emily thought it was hilarious but could tell, by the set of Paige's shoulders, she was taking it far too seriously. It wasn't even their money but Emily knew it wasn't about that for Paige. It was simply that, despite being easy going in nearly all ways, she hated to lose.

"May I try?" Emily asked, hoping to distract her as the dealer swept her chips away and Paige blew out a frustrated breath after she busted again.

Paige looked up at her. This was supposed to be fun and she was bringing the whole night down, she could feel it. She didn't want the mood to sour because she couldn't be a good sport about losing a few bucks. "Sure." She got up from the table and let Emily sit in her place. "Do you need some help?" Paige offered.

"No, I think I got it." Emily had watched carefully for the last while and was confident, even if she didn't win, she at least wouldn't embarrass them.

Emily placed a ten dollar chip in the little box outlined on the table along with the other players and the dealer dealt the first card. Emily was on the far side and received her card last. A jack. The dealer's card down.

The deal went around again and Paige's jaw dropped as Emily was dealt an ace. Seriously. Emily clapped, excitedly and bounced in her chair as the rest of the hand played out around the table and she was finally awarded her winnings. She restacked the chips and let in all ride on the next hand. Her first card was an eight. Her next a nine. She chewed her lip as the dealer was showing sixteen. They had to hit. She waved a hand over her cards to stay. The dealer drew another six and busted and Emily laughed, collected her winnings again.

"Jesus Christ." Paige muttered behind her with a laugh and helped herself to Emily's drink as consolation. "Figures."

It took a mere twenty minutes for Emily to win back everything Paige had lost and go up thirty dollars and by then she had had enough. She very much subscribed to the quit while you're ahead philosophy. "I'm ready to get out of here." She said as she scooped up the chips.

Paige pursed her lips and eyed the table, thinking, perhaps, she'd give it another go.

Emily placed a finger beneath Paige's chin to turn her attention back to her and waited for Paige to meet her eyes. "You, me, dancing." She said and pinned Paige with a look. "Now." She punctuated her command with a full kiss on her mouth.

Paige grinned. "Yes, ma'am."

They swung by the cage and cashed out. Outside Paige asked the doorman to call a cab which only involved him blowing a whistle and the next available taxi roared to the front from around the corner of the building. Paige held the door for Emily and slid in next to her.

"Where are you headed, Ladies?" The driver asked.

"You tell us." Paige replied. "We'd like to go dancing."

"No worries then." He smiled and pulled out into the street. "At this hour Central Station is just getting warmed up. Hope you like two stepping."

Paige and Emily looked at each other. It hadn't occurred to either of them until now. "Do you you two step?" Emily asked.

Paige gave her a cocky smile. "I wouldn't be much of a cowgirl if I didn't now would I?" She eyed Emily. "Do you?"

"I do, actually." Emily smiled slyly. "I spent an entire summer in Texas with my Dad in high school."

"Well." Paige sat back against the seat and let her eyes drift lustily over Emily. She inched her hand over to her thigh and traced a finger tip just under the hem of her dress. "I guess we were made for each other weren't we?"

Emily's eyes flicked to Paige's hand as it crept farther up her dress and smoothed, lightly over the skin of her inner thigh. She returned her eyes to Paige, holding her gaze as she sucked in a sharp breath at the teasing caress. "Easy." Emily whispered, biting down on her lip with a smile as Paige's touch lit a fire low in her belly. The night, the clothes, the thrill of gambling and the buzz of alcohol making them both horny as hell.

"So are you in town on business or pleasure?" The driver called cheerily from the front seat as he drove them into town.

Paige leaned across Emily, sliding her hand all the way up under her dress between her legs, as she pretended to look out the window at sites as they passed. She could feel Emily's damp heat and pressed her fingertips against her center. "Definitely pleasure" Paige replied, and pinned Emily under her gaze and her hand.

Emily stiffened and choked on a groan, her hands clenching into fists next to her. She shook her head furiously and mouthed the word stop.

Paige grinned wickedly and slid over closer to Emily as her fingers circled Emily's clit through the thin material of her panties. Emily gripped, frantically at her wrist trying to pull her away though, truly, it was the last thing she wanted. She hissed a breath against the ache building between her legs but Paige wouldn't budge and she didn't want to draw the driver's attention. "So, we're only in town for a very short time." Paige engaged the driver, leaning forward between the seats while tormenting Emily. "What would you recommend if you only had a day here?" She asked, her eyes flicked to Emily.

Her lips were slightly parted, her breathing uneven as she struggled to maintain her composure against what Paige was doing to her. Emily shifted in her seat, trying to get out from under Paige's hand but Paige shifted with her. She slipped her hand beneath Emily's panties and stroked the impossibly aroused nerves, throbbing with the need for release, heightened to the next level by the adrenaline rush at the risk of being caught in such a compromising condition.

Emily clamped her legs together against Paige's hand, her mouth dropping open unable to hold back a strangled groan as her orgasm built and she tried to fight it off. It was too late. If Paige didn't move her hand she was going to come in the cab and she wasn't sure anymore if she cared. She turned toward the window, gritting her teeth and fumbling for the button to lower the window.

Cool night air rushed in and the sound of the air masked Emily's now panting breaths as she continued to fight against climax.

"Are you too hot back there?" The driver asked, his eyes on Emily in the rear view mirror.

Paige choked on her laugh. "She'll be fine in another minute." Paige answered for her and quickened her pace, feeling Emily start to tremble with the tension of holding back.

"If I only had a day here." The driver answered, totally oblivious to what was about to happen. "I'd want to hit the museum for sure and maybe even the wax museum but that can be a little creepy."

"Nice." Paige answered. "That's already what we were thinking."

Emily's eyes closed to slits as the conversation became white noise. She couldn't fight it anymore. She gripped the door handle hard with her left hand and slid her right hand over Paige's, pressing her even harder onto her clit as she let go and let her orgasm overtake her.

Her thighs tightened around Paige's hand hard enough that Paige winced slightly with the pressure of it as fire ripped through her. She gritted her teeth, a mewling sound coming from the back of her throat and dropped her head onto her chest to ride out the wave as silently as she could.

"Your friend isn't going to throw up in my cab is she?" The driver asked, nervously when he caught sight of Emily in the mirror.

"Nope." Paige answered near laughter. "She's good." She felt Emily's legs relax around her hand. Paige slid her hand out and smoothed Emily's dress back down over her thighs. "Right, Em?" She asked with a smug smile.

Emily rolled her head up and let it drop back against the seat, a slow smile on her face and her eyes glittering. "I'm good." She breathed huskily.

"Okay." The driver nodded. "We're here anyway." He pulled in front of a well lit club with a rapidly filling lot. "Anything else you Ladies need?" He asked and turned around to face them.

Paige pulled a hundred bill from her pocket. "Would you mind coming back for us at." She checked her watch It was 11:30. " 1:00?" She asked handing him the bill.

His eyes brightened. "Sure thing." He took the money.

Paige scrambled out her side of the cab and around to Emily's, opening her door and offering her a hand.

Emily accepted and stood a little shakily before getting her bearings. "Thank you." Paige slipped an arm around Emily's waist and addressed the driver.

"Have fun tonight." The driver called.

"We intend to." Paige replied and turned them toward the door.


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. That's not what I meant to happen but I just couldn't help myself you look so good tonight and I love you and I've been trying so hard to keep my hands to myself but then…" Paige rambled an hysterical laugh bubbling up from her chest as they walked, arm in arm, into the club. "I'm sorry but that was the hottest fucking thing I've ever seen in my life, Emily." Paige went on nervously. "Please, tell me you're not angry with me."

"Yes, well, it was hot for me too and I'm not angry with you." Emily felt Paige relax and her mouth twisted into a calculating smile. "You're familiar with the expression 'revenge is a dish best served cold' I assume." Emily kept her eyes forward, leaning toward Paige, speaking low but ensuring she could be heard over the music. "In your case it will be served hot, wet and agonizingly slow."

"Mmmmm." Paige leaned in and kissed behind her ear. "Promise?"

"I do." Emily replied simply.

Something in the tone of Emily's voice sent chills through Paige and all of the sudden she was less enthusiastic about the payback and more nervous. She knew whatever it was she totally deserved. She swallowed heavily. "Buy you a drink?"

"Yes." Emily smiled and brushed a kiss across Paige's lips. "I'll find us a table."

Emily moved to a high bar table with a couple of chairs, one of only a few left surrounding the dance floor. The music was loud but not so you couldn't hear each other. It was country for sure but mostly the modern pop style. Right now couples, mostly tourists it looked like in varying degrees and interpretations of western wear, moved across the floor to Lady Antebellum's _Just a Kiss_.

Paige returned with a couple gin and tonics, Emily's preferred cocktail, and set them on the table. "So, how am I doing on our first real night out?" Paige asked, semi-seriously.

Emily laughed, swirling the ice around in her drink before taking a sip. She eyed her. "Are you fishing for a compliment?"

"Just checking in." Paige shrugged a little uncertainly. "Making sure you're not bored."

"Bored!" Emily exclaimed with a laugh. "Paige, are you nuts? How many of my other girlfriends do you think I let get me off in the back of a cab?"

Paige frowned. "How many other girlfriends were there?" The alcohol all of the sudden making her maudlin and insecure which was way out of character for her.

"Paige." Emily looked at her with disbelief. "Remember you're whole stupid in love comment? Well, it's pretty much like that." She paused making sure Paige was with her. She reached across and covered her left hand with both of hers. "You're truly my fantasy come to life."

Paige fiddled with the straw in her drink. "It's not always going to be like this, you know."

Emily frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm going to get old and crotchety and my boobs are going to sag and a night out is going to mean moving from the living room to the rocking chairs on the front porch." Paige said wistfully. "And that's after years of trying to pretend we're actually qualified to be the moral compass for tiny demons and leaving the house smelling like sour milk and pee and learning algebra all over again." Paige's future self flashed before her eyes.

Emily blinked at her for a moment before throwing her head back and cracking up. "Oh, my, God, Paige, I love you so much." She wiped tears from her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. "We should be so lucky." She snapped to attention all of the sudden. "Wait, do you want to have kids?"

"Don't you?" Paige blurted without thinking, all the drinks finally catching up with her.

Emily beamed at her, her heart filled with so much love she thought she might explode. "Yes, I do and I can't imagine anyone I'd rather be the mother of my children, but let's revisit this conversation in five years. Furthermore, I love front porches and rocking chairs but I think the only one of us that has to worry about saggy boobs is me." Emily stood and pulled Paige to her feet. "But, for now, I think you should just dance with me."

Paige stood and frowned down at her chest. "You don't even think my boobs are big enough to be affected by gravity?"

"That was what you took away from what I just said?" Emily stared at her, incredulously. "Paige, I love your boobs. Now, shut up and dance with me." She led them onto the dance floor.

Emily lead Paige out onto the dance floor and turned to face her, a question in her eyes.

"Um, I think maybe I should lead." Paige offered and assumed the appropriate stance.

Emily raised an eyebrow. "Because you're wearing the pants?"

Paige grinned goofily. "Because I've had too much to drink to do it backwards." She laughed.

Emily smiled and shook her head, gripping Paige's left hand with her right. Paige's cast right hand rested against Emily's left shoulder blade and Emily's left hand rested atop Paige's right shoulder.

Paige took a relaxing breath, holding Emily's gaze, her eyes glittering with amusement and waited for the next song. The dance floor darkened for a moment and overhead spot lights of vary colors swept across the floor, ceiling and walls just before the music began.

The familiar opening guitar of a decade old Brooks and Dunn song, _My Maria_, filled the room. Emily's eyes lit up and Paige grinned lopsidedly as they moved into the dance, effortlessly, and anyone watching or rather, everyone watching would assume they had been dancing together for years.

Paige guided them around the floor twice, counterclockwise with the other couples. getting the feel for how they moved together before guiding Emily into a spin.

"You're really good." Emily's eyes sparkled with laughter as they came back together.

"Some say the best." Paige answered without missing a beat and lead them both in a tight fast circle before opening up and spinning Emily again as they continued their circuit.

Paige could feel eyes on her and risked a glance around the room. She wasn't wrong. Gazes from all corners of the room and some from the dance floor were turned their way. They weren't the disapproving stares Paige had feared but admiring and impressed as Paige and Emily moved across the floor- quick, quick, slow, slow- smoothly.

"People are staring." Paige whispered.

Emily's eyes flicked around. "That's because you're sexy as hell." She said teasingly.

Paige laughed as Brooks and Dunn rolled into Florida Georgia Line and more couples stepped out onto the floor. "Shall we give them something to stare at?" She didn't wait for Emily's answer but moved into a series of complex steps and spins that had Emily laughing breathlessly as other couples moved out of the way for them and some stopped entirely to watch as they put on a show.

Paige had to focus to keep from tipping them both over. She was one drink away from landing them both on their ass but, somehow, she had hit the perfect window of loose and uninhibited as they moved seamlessly from one song into the next and she and Emily moved like liquid grace.

"I bet they have awesome sex…"

Paige overheard a woman say at a table as they moved past. She whipped her head around to see who had spoken and, sure enough, the woman was watching them enviously. Paige fought a laugh and cheated the dance floor to get back around to their table.

"...why don't you learn to dance like that?"

Paige did laugh out loud now as the woman scowled at the man she was with who looked helpless and disappointed. "Speaking of sex." Paige checked her watch. It was nearly time to meet their ride. "Are you ready to get out of here?"

"I'm sorry." Emily eyed her. "Were we speaking of sex?"

"No." Paige shrugged with a smile. "But I bet you were thinking about it."

The song ended and Emily stopped dropping her position and sliding her hands down around Paige's waist, leading her from the dance floor. "I think you're projecting." Emily grinned. "I got taken care of in the cab. I'm good."

"You're good when I say you're good." Paige insisted. She had been looking forward to getting back to the room all night and gripped Emily's hand, leading her toward the door. "Ride's waiting."

* * *

"Finally." Paige sighed dramatically as she threw the bolt on the room door. She teetered precariously around the room as she tried to kick out of her boots without sitting down. She laughed at herself as the room spun slightly.

She had her shirt half way unbuttoned before realizing she had no idea where Emily had gone. "Em?" She called and moved toward the bedroom. "Where'd you go?" Paige froze when she saw Emily leaning against the bedroom door, arms crossed, watching her.

Emily's mouth turned up in a slow smile. "I'm not sure you're in any condition for this tonight." She teased, feeling pretty buzzed herself.

"Please." Paige pulled a face and pulled her shirt out from her pants on her way to the bedroom. "We're not talking operating heavy machinery here." She scoffed. "I think I can handle it."

Emily laughed and turned around. "Well, why don't you handle the zipper on my dress then." She had already tried and failed to unfasten the eye hook at the top.

Paige squinted at the tiny clasp, fumbling with drunk fingers. "What the fuck." She grumbled. "I think we should just cut you out-"

"Don't even joke!" Emily laughed. "I love this dress and if you want what's under it you'll get it off without damaging it."

Paige focused with renewed determination and creative swearing, finally managing to pop the clasp. "Got you, you little bastard!" She cheered and unzipped Emily's dress, pulling it from her shoulders and letting it fall to the floor.

Emily spun giving Paige an eyeful of matching black lace bra and panties. "Choose your prize." She said with a smirk and reached to undo the last few of Paige's shirt buttons pushing it back over her arms and exposing her upper body.

Paige smiled lasciviously, reaching out to brush her fingertips across the tops of Emily's breasts straining against the delicate material. She shivered as Emily traced her fingers across her middle and unfastened the fly on her pants, slipping her hand inside and cupping her.

Paige pushed her pants down over her hips and stepped out of them as she walked Emily backwards toward the bed. "I've been waiting for this all night." She rumbled, wrapping her arm around Emily's waist and lifting her onto the bed.

Emily let herself fall back against the lush bedding, pulling Paige with her until their lips met in a bruising kiss, tongues tangling together. Emily reached around Paige and unhooked her bra before hooking her thumbs in her panties and sliding them down over her hips.

Paige slipped the rest of the way out of her underwear and encouraged Emily out of her own. She didn't need much help and in seconds they were both naked, pressed against each other so tightly light wouldn't get between them.

Emily groaned into Paige's mouth, raking her hands down her back, no doubt leaving marks on her way to cup Paige's ass with both hands, squeezing her hard.

Paige sucked in a breath and pulled away far enough to speak. "Did you have fun tonight?"

"You are a fabulous date, Paige." Emily whispered, pulling her down to kiss her gently.

"And a fabulous lay." Paige waggled her eyebrows.

Emily grinned, slipping a hand down between Paige's legs and dipping her fingers in her wetness eliciting a gasp. "I'll be the judge of that."

"Well." Paige rolled them both so she was on her back and Emily draped along her length. "You better get to work then." She reached up and grabbed the headboard. "I believe you owe me."

"Oh really? "How do you figure that?" Emily eyed Paige and pushed herself up to settle on Paige's hips, her hands on her chest. "Because if you're suggesting what happened between us in the cab was for me, you are most mistaken."

"You're the one who came." Paige argued playfully.

"Yes, but, and maybe this isn't as obvious to you as it was to me." Emily leaned forward, pressing Paige's shoulders down into the bed to make her point. "That was very clearly you wanting to exert power over me." She watched as Paige's mouth dropped open, ready to protest and went on before she could speak. "We were about to enter an environment where you anticipated competition for my affection and you wanted to mark your territory. On an evolutionary level it was a very natural thing to do."

Paige's face fell, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times. "You _are_ angry with me." She finally managed. "And you make me sound like a fucking Neanderthal." She squirmed beneath Emily feeling vulnerable and wanting to get away.

"I'm not at all angry and making you feel badly about it is the last thing I want to do." Emily shook her head with a smile and held Paige's chin, turning her head back to face her. "I loved it and I love you and I don't mind if you're feeling a little possessive and if I hadn't wanted it to happen, too, I wouldn't have let it, Paige." Emily explained. "I'm just not going to let you get away with saying that it was for me though, I'll admit, I most definitely benefited from your baser, primal instincts." Emily leaned down, punctuating her sentence by kissing Paige soundly on the mouth.

Paige remained stiff, her ego smarting though even her booze addled brain knew Emily was exactly right. She felt like a complete asshole and she just wanted to crawl back into her cave.

Emily lifted her head. "Paige, come on." She smiled gently and kissed her softly again. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I just want us to be honest with each other always and with ourselves." She kissed down her neck and behind her ear. "I love you and I love what you do to me." She reached for Paige's hand moving it down between her legs so Paige could feel how aroused she was. ''This is for you." She kissed her again more deeply and held Paige's hand against her center. "It's all for you." She breathed.

"Paige, please, touch me." Emily begged when Paige still had not responded. She held Paige's hand between her legs and ground down on her. "Paige, you are the most highly evolved woman I know and I really need you're opposable thumbs right now."

Paige couldn't help but laugh at that and slung her right arm around Emily's neck, kissing her hard, all wounded pride disappearing as Emily swirled her hips around against her hand. "So, what you're really saying is it's your turn again?" Paige mumbled around her mouth.

"Yes." Emily hissed a breath as Paige's fingers found their mark and circled her swollen clit. Emily pushed herself up and guided Paige's fingers to her entrance, lifting her hips slightly and sliding back down onto her hand. "That's exactly what I'm saying." She breathed letting her eyes drift closed.

Paige sucked in a breath at the awesome sight of Emily, head thrown back, back arched and hips grinding down on her as she set a tempo Paige could barely manage to keep up with. "I can live with that."


	6. Chapter 6

Paige woke slowly the throbbing in her head eased, somewhat, by the delicious sensation of Emily's lazy fingers tracing patterns on her back. "Feels nice." She murmured, hoarsely into the pillow.

Emily had been trying to tease Paige awake for the last half hour but she had slept on deeply a result of too many drinks and their dirty four star hotel room sex lasting until the early hours. Paige fell asleep on her stomach, the sheet draped loosely across her waist giving Emily an unobstructed view of the perfectly sculpted muscles of her back and shoulders.

"One, two, three, four." She traced her finger down Paige's neck, counting her vertebrae as she went. "This is the origin of levator scapulae." She smoothed her hand along where the muscle ran beneath Paige's skin to her scapula. "This is its insertion."

"Mmmmm." Paige hummed softly as Emily moved her hands over her back.

Emily walked her fingers farther down Paige's spine. "Rhomboid major inserts at T2 through T5." She traced the muscle across Paige's back.

Paige shifted slightly and turned her head toward Emily. "You know I know this stuff already." She teased. "So, you're going to have to work harder to impress me."

Emily's eyebrows shot up. "Is that so?" Her lips quirked into a smile and she counted down again, moving farther down Paige's spine to her lower back. "L4." She said and pressed her finger gently into Paige's spine. "Where they'll insert the catheter for your epidural when you're birthing my babies."

Paige blinked, not sure she had heard her right and not able to fully wrap her head around the implications of Emily's comment. Emily stared at her with barely contained merriment. "Oh, my, God." Paige breathed and turned her head into her pillow realizing she had not just imagined talking to Emily about having kids.

Emily winced as Paige screamed a string of muffled curses into the pillow and she slid over, draping herself across Paige's back and kissing along the back of her neck down between her shoulder blades. "Paige, honey, I was just teasing you." She said, struggling not to laugh.

Paige turned her face, red with embarrassment out of the pillow. "Can we, please, just pretend last night never happened." She begged.

"What?" Emily was genuinely surprised. "Paige, why?" She pulled at Paige's shoulder encouraging her to roll over so she could look at her.

Paige turned over, reluctantly and covered her face with her hands. "I'm such a fucking asshole." She groaned. "Please, don't ever let me drink that much again because my drunk alter ego is, apparently, a laughably sentimental cavewoman." She groaned.

"Oh, honey." Emily couldn't help but laugh now and wrestled Paige's hand away from her face. "Please, don't be embarrassed. Everything you did and said was so adorable and genuine and I love you so much I just want to unzip you and crawl inside to be closer to you."

Paige let her hands drop to the bed and lifted her head slightly to meet Emily's eyes. "That's kind of weird, Em."

Emily sighed, narrowing her eyes. "I have an idea." She kissed the corner of Paige's mouth, down behind her ear, down her neck and across her collarbone to the hollow of her throat.

Paige arched her neck, expelling a breath. "What's your idea?" She sighed, turning her head to encourage Emily to continue her trail of kisses.

Emily kissed her way down Paige's chest, pausing to suck her nipples into her mouth, one at a time, and roll them around in her tongue. "It rhymes with hot, wet and agonizingly slow." She continued her way down and settled between Paige's legs, breathing in the heady scent of her arousal.

"Oh, shit." Paige moaned as Emily's hot mouth closed around her most sensitive skin. Her clit throbbed with her pounding pulse as she felt Emily's tongue parting her, circling her, sucking her into her mouth. "Oh, fuck…." Paige choked out, her hips thrusting into Emily's face.

Emily gripped Paige's hips to hold her still, spreading her thighs with her arms and burying her face between her legs, drunk with desire and the determination to make Paige scream. She sucked and licked and lapped, pausing for air only when she thought Paige was hyperventilating.

"Oh, God, Emily, please…." Paige sobbed, her hips bucking wildly as she strained for more. "Please, please finish me."

Emily had lost all track of time but her jaw ached, her tongue was sore and she was getting light headed from lack of oxygen with greater frequency. She would take that as Paige's submission and close her out.

Paige was making a strangled keening noise with every breath now as Emily set a deep plunging rhythm alternating with hard laps to her clit. Paige had no control and no energy left as her orgasm crushed her with a g-force like intensity, pressing her into the bed and pushing the air from her lungs. Her muscles spasmed and her vision grayed as all her senses short circuited.

Paige's next moment of awareness was of a hand caressing her face. She dragged her eyes open, blinking furiously to focus as Emily's breasts swam into view, swaying over her face as she leaned over her. "Em." Paige croaked hoarsely.

"Hey." Emily smiled and kissed her head. "Wow, I thought you might be in a coma." She joked.

Paige laughed, raggedly. "You flatter yourself."

Emily dropped her head to Paige's chest and curled into her. Paige's heart still pounded hard but her breathing had returned to normal. "I think we need to lay off the sex." Emily laughed. "One of us is going to have a stroke or MI or aneurysm or something."

"Yeah, maybe that's a good idea." Paige sighed and worked to bring her arm around to drape across Emily's back. They were asleep again in moments.

* * *

"Who is this supposed to be?" Emily cocked her head and squinted at the figures.

Paige bent to read the placard in front of the display. "Mmmm, Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday."

"Yeah, I don't know." Emily mused. "Really doesn't look anything like Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer." She joked, referencing the movie _Tombstone_.

Paige laughed. "That was good." She bumped Emily with her hip. "Why are these things so fucking creepy?" She frowned and gazed around at the figures.

"The Uncanny Valley." Emily answered.

"The what?" Paige checked her watch. She wanted to get on the road shortly. It was already getting late in the afternoon and she wanted to get to Colorado Springs tonight and they had a five hour drive. They were feeling well rested though and okay with driving into the night.

"It's this hypothesis around humans' emotional response to entities that look and act human. I think a robotics developer coined it. As non human beings, I guess in this example robots, become more human like people have an increased empathetic response to them up until a certain point. When something becomes _almost _human but is not it then evokes a really powerful repulsive response like, I don't know…"

"Wax figures." Paige nodded and guided Emily through the rest of the small museum.

"Exactly." Emily laughed. "There is this sharp drop in the emotional curve from a positive response to a negative and that's the uncanny valley where you find prosthetic limbs maybe, puppets, dolls and, in most cases, corpses." She gave Paige a nudge. "And at the very bottom of the valley is zombies. The embodiment of not quite human that we find terrifying."

They worked their way back out to the lobby. "Where did you even learn this?" Paige asked impressed.

"There was this horror movie out recently I was thinking of taking myself to see. I can't even think of the title right but it was about a possessed doll or something. I was reading a review of it and it mentioned the uncanny valley so I looked it up."

"You like horror movies?" Paige asked surprised.

Emily nodded enthusiastically. "I do but I totally get scared. I'm a screamer."

Paige grinned. "Oh yeah?"

"And I don't really like to watch them alone." Emily added.

"Well, we'll have to see what we can do about that." Paige looked around the lobby. "I'm going to use the restroom before we go."

"I'll meet you at the car." Emily headed the other way.

Emily was leaning against the car, hands behind her back, when Paige came down the steps. "I got you something at the gift shop." She said with a grin and brought out a box, tossing it to Paige.

Paige caught it and turned it over. "Outlaw die cast metal toy pistol!" She shouted, ripping the box open and pulling out the real sized, revolver. "Sweet!" She immediately started twirling it by the trigger guard and trying to grip it again, mimicking holstering it. Though she was awkward with her left hand.

"I thought you'd like that." Emily laughed at her. "Come on Annie Oakley, let's get the hell outta Dodge!"

Paige stopped playing with the gun, her jaw dropping. "You said it." She gaped.

"Well, of course I said it." Emily replied looking surprised. "Weren't you going to say it?"

"Yeah, I _was_ going to say it." Paige moved to get into the driver's side. "Now I can't say it because you already said it."

Emily stared at her and shook her head. "Will you just get in the car, please."

Paige sulked and dropped down behind the wheel, tossing her toy pistol onto the dash.

"And can we not leave the very real looking toy gun on the dashboard?" She picked it up and tossed it onto the floor of the backseat."

Paige started up the car and revved the engine. "Gettin' the hell outta Dodge." She grumbled as she roared out onto the street.

Emily couldn't help laughing at her as they headed out of town.

* * *

The car jounced over a pothole and Paige jerked awake.

"Sorry." Emily said softly, her eyes flicking over to her. They had traded off driving an hour ago and Paige had immediately fallen asleep. "Did you get some rest?"

Paige rubbed her eyes and rolled her neck around to ease the cramp from sleeping awkwardly. "A little." She mumbled and reached for the water bottle in the console, draining half of it as she peered out the windshield.

The sun had set and the last rays of light casting a faint glow in front of them as they headed west. The road was a two lane secondary highway. Fast but quiet and they had made good time. "Where are we?" Paige finally asked when no road sign appeared to be forthcoming.

"Just crossed over into Colorado." Emily said. "We past a sign a few minutes ago for a town called Ivy. Population 1, 048 and elevation 3,792 feet."

Paige chuckled. "You must be bored."

Emily nodded. "Are you hungry?" She asked. "Do you want to stop?"

"Nah, I'm okay." Paige rested her head back against the seat. "Unless you need to I'd rather just keep going. There's probably not much out here anyway."

"No kidding." Emily laughed. "I haven't even seen another car for half an hour. I'm fine to keep going."

Paige flipped through her phone looking for some music she was interested in playing when she felt Emily slow. "What's up?"

"Check this out." Emily was peering ahead out the windshield. It wasn't yet full dark but it was getting there. The girl walking toward them down the road on the opposite side was difficult to make out but she looked young and slightly built. Her head hung down, long lank hair covering her face and she clutched a backpack or something to her chest.

Emily slowed further as they passed her and she didn't even pick her head up as the car rumbled by. Paige craned around in the seat to watch her as she disappeared behind them. "What do you think?" Paige asked.

Emily leaned over the steering wheel. "This must be her car." She stopped to get a look at it.

The car was a beat up blue Ford escort, one door was gray, the front end was dented and rust around the exhaust was severe. It could have broken down for any number of reasons.

Paige clenched her jaw and looked behind them. The night had grown dark and the girl was long out of sight. "How far would she have to go to the town we went through?"

Emily chewed her lip. "Ten or fifteen miles maybe."

Paige shook her head. "That's too far." Emily was already turning the car around.

* * *

**So, Paige and Emily have been having a pretty nice trip so far. Bet you didn't think I was going to write 25 chapters of fluff, did you? Things may start taking a turn for the dark and dramatic soon.**

**Thank you for the reviews. As ever, I really enjoy hearing from you and hearing what you like/dislike about my stories. I'll keep writing them as long as someone out there is reading them or, really, as long as I enjoy writing them.**


	7. Chapter 7

It took Emily less than a minute to pass the young woman again. She put her hazards on and pulled off the side of the road up ahead of her.

"I'll get her." Paige said and hopped out of the car.

The girl had stopped, eyeing Paige warily and clutching her bag impossibly hard to her chest. She looked at Paige through stringy hair. She wore an oversized, long sleeved, button down shirt, worn jeans and beat up hiking boots. She looked like she could use a hot meal and a shower.

"Hey." Paige said cheerily. "We saw your car back there and thought you could use a lift." Paige could barely see her. There were no streetlights and the headlights were no use pointing away from them. She took a step forward to get a better look at her.

The girl backed up and tensed, looking over her shoulder like she wanted to run and shifted her backpack into one hand, freeing up the other arm.

Paige saw the motion and frowned. This girl was scared, of what she had no idea. Maybe she was a runaway. "Hey, don't worry." Paige offered. "I'm not going to hurt you." She held out her hands. "My name is Paige." She gestured to the car. "And my friend is Emily. We're driving across the country and we saw you and thought maybe you were in trouble and could use some help, that's all." She left it at that and waited.

The girl shifted her weight back and forth, looking back the way she had come and then toward Paige. "I only need to go as far as the next town." She said, her voice sounding gravelly from disuse. "Can you you give me a ride to Ivy?"

"Yeah, sure." Paige released a quiet breath. "We'd be happy to. Come on." She walked back to the car and flipped forward the passenger seat so the girl could get in the back.

Emily drove back toward the last town, her eyes flicking to the rear view mirror to the young woman in the back. If Emily had to guess she'd say she wasn't yet twenty but she had a tragic energy about her that made her seem older and darkened the car.

"Are you from Ivy?" Paige asked conversationally.

The girl was quiet a long time. "I used to be." She whispered as she stared out the window.

Paige glanced to Emily who just shrugged and focused on the road, not sure if they should even be trying. The girl clearly didn't want to talk. "Are you visiting family?" Paige tried again.

Again the car was filled with silence. "Funeral." Came the eventual reply.

Paige winced. "I'm sorry." She offered lamely.

"Shit happens." The young woman said emotionlessly.

Emily's eyes flicked again to the mirror in time to see the girl bend down over her knees. She heard a rustle of movement, a zipper and a sharp snap of something breaking. She looked over at Paige with concern.

Paige heard it, too and turned around in her seat. "Everything alright back there?"

The girl sat up fast, a look of surprise on her face. "Cute." She said and waved the toy pistol in the air.

Paige grimaced and took it from her. "Yeah, souvenir from Dodge City." She explained as she stuck the gun in the glove box. "So, where can we take you.? Do you have friends-"

"Take the next left toward town." The young woman interrupted. "There's a gas station outside of town. I'll get out there."

"You know if all you need is gas we'd be happy to wait and drive you back to your car." Emily offered with a smile.

The young woman stared at her. "No, that's not all I need." She said cryptically. "But thanks."

Emily took the left and headed down a smaller winding road. A sign indicated downtown Ivy was in two miles. The road was lined with trees, scrub and rock and still not lit.

The headlights illuminated a break in the trees and the gas station made itself known with dim overhead fluorescent lights, flickering over two beat up pumps old enough that there was no pay at the pump option. There was a small convenience store, also poorly lit and a single garage bay with the door closed. What little asphalt there was was pitted and crumbling and the rest was dirt. The whole place looked deserted.

Paige frowned, looking around with concern as Emily pulled in and put the car in park. "It looks closed."

"Yeah, that's cool." The young woman said and leaned forward, her hand on the back of Paige's seat, obviously anxious to be out of the car.

Paige didn't want to leave her here. She looked to Emily for guidance. "Can we call someone for you?" Emily asked, hopefully.

"I'm fine." The girl snapped and reached down along the side pulling the lever herself while Paige was still in the seat.

Paige jerked forward with a grunt of surprise, finally opening her door and stepping out. She pulled the seat forward and reached for the girl's hand to help her. She couldn't help but notice the ratty gauze bandages wrapped around her left wrist.

The girl saw her staring and scrambled quickly out of the car, pulling her shirt sleeve back down. "Thanks." She mumbled as she moved off away from the car, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

Paige pressed her lips together in a tight line. "Hold on!" She yelled after her and waited to make sure the girl stopped before reaching into the center console and grabbing a pen. She ripped a page out of her travel guide and scribbled her name and cell number down.

She trotted up to her and held out the folded paper. "It's my number." She shrugged. "You know, if you need…" She trailed off uncertainly. "If you're in trouble or something-"

"I'm fine!" The young woman snapped, her eyes flashing angrily.

Paige chewed her lip and frowned. "I'm sorry, I just thought, um, I don't what I thought." She let her arm drop to her side. "I thought maybe we could help." She finished.

The girl's expression softened and she took a tentative step forward and raised her hand, gesturing for the paper.

Paige handed it to her, eyeing her hard. This girl was definitely in trouble but Paige had no idea what to do for her.

She jammed the paper in her jeans pocket and returned Paige's gaze. "You did help." She said softly. "Thank you, Paige." She turned and trotted off around the side of the building.

Emily watched their exchange nervously. She had an uneasy feeling about all of this she couldn't explain. Paige stood staring after the girl for a long time and Emily stepped out of the car. "Paige?"

Paige turned to look at her and held up her hand. "Just a second." She trotted up to the glass door covered with tattered ads for beer and cigarettes. She pulled on the handle but it was locked. She cupped her hands around her face and peered in. She saw no one.

"Paige, let's just go." Emily called.

Paige tugged on the door again, frustratingly and thought about going around the building after her to see if she was alright.

"Paige, there's nothing more we can do." Emily voiced the sentiment that Paige wasn't ready to admit.

She kicked at the door before trudging back to the car and slumping down into her seat, closing her door with a slam. "Let's go." She said as she chewed on her thumbnail and glared at the locked building.

Emily pulled back out and returned to their route. She slid a hand over to Paige's thigh, giving her leg a comforting squeeze. "She didn't want our help, Paige."

"Yeah, but she needed it." Paige murmured.

"We don't know that." Emily tried to reason with her. She knew Paige and she knew she wasn't going to be able to let this go easily. Despite her ability to detach from the dead her capacity for compassion for the living was endless.

"I do." Paige replied darkly. She was quiet for a long time. "I don't even know her name."

It was too late now to make it to Colorado Springs tonight. They drove for another two hours and hit a reasonably sized town called Rocky Ford. They could make the rest of the trip in the morning.

Emily checked them into a room and brought in their bags while Paige ran across the street to a gas station convenience store. They were both exhausted and didn't want to bother trying to find a restaurant still open.

Paige returned to the room with a six pack of bud light, large bottle of powerade, two slices of less than appetizing looking pizza probably sitting under a warmer all day, two hot pockets she heated in the store microwave, two small apples and a browning banana. "This is the best I could do." She said as she dumped everything on the small table in their room.

Emily didn't comment but reached for the powerade and drained half of it in one go. When she felt marginally rehydrated he opted for a hot pocket and apple. She'd make up the nutritional deficiency tomorrow at breakfast she hoped. "Are you okay?" She eyed Paige across the table as she twisted a top off a beer and gnawed on a piece of pizza.

"Yeah." She offered a weak smile. "Just tired."

"You want to take this meal to the bed?" Emily began gathering up their snacks. "Find something to watch?"

"Yeah." Paige sighed. "That sounds good." They spent the next several minutes arranging themselves into pajamas, brushing teeth and washing faces. Paige set another beer and the banana on the nightstand before flopping onto the bed. Emily crawled in next to her.

"How about this?" Emily flicked through the channels and stopped at one of the house buying reality shows.

Paige shook her head, which was pillowed on Emily's breast as she curled into her side. Emily sat propped against the headboard. "You know all those shows are filmed in Canada."

"So?" Emily frowned down at the top of her head. "You have a problem with our neighbors to the north?"

"It's fucking cold, I can't do temperatures in celsius or distance in kilometers, they spell funny and I'm not big on apologizing all the time." Paige shrugged. "Though I'd be totally cool with bacon and gravy on everything, stronger beer and socialized medicine."

"When you have your inevitable coronary artery disease you'll need it." Emily laughed. "You're ridiculous."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Paige covered Emily's hand with her own."Go back a couple." She pressed down on Emily's thumb until the got back where she wanted. "This." The said triumphantly.

Emily watched the screen. A bunch of burly, sweaty men with mullets and big breasted women with huge hair were in a bar fight while a band behind a chain link fence played in the background. "Do I even want to know?" Emily sighed and set the remote on the table. She could feel Paige smiling and wrapped an arm around her, holding her close.

"Roadhouse." Paige said excitedly. "The late, great Patrick Swayze, Sam Elliot, Kelly Lynch circa 1989."

"Do I need to understand what's happened up until now?" Emily asked, willing to do just about anything to cheer Paige up even if it meant watching silly 80's movies.

Paige enthusiastically filled her in on the first half hour and Emily, though she would never admit it out loud, thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the movie. Paige fell asleep before the closing credits and Emily turned off the television and covered them with the blanket, pulling Paige close and falling asleep to the sound of her deep even breathing.

* * *

"What are you having?" Emily asked as she perused the menu of the diner the next morning. They had slept late, both of them needing the sleep and woke famished.

"Mmm, I'm thinking pancakes and bacon." Paige pressed her lips together, deep in thought. "Or the breakfast sandwich or, hmmm, maybe an omelette and hashbrowns."

Emily laughed. "Why don't you just get them all." She joked.

Paige blinked at her for a moment, considering. "I don't think I can eat all that."

Emily breathed a laugh. "I was kidding."

"Right." Paige nodded.

The server came by and Paige finally settled on the omelette with bacon, hashbrowns and one pancake. Emily ordered, fresh fruit, yogurt and granola. Coffee, orange juice and water cups filled the table.

The server had just delivered their food when a cell phone rang from somewhere nearby. It chimed several times before Paige stopped buttering her pancake and looked up. "Is that mine?"

She hadn't used her phone at all. She had sent her parents email updates with some photos along the way and texted Hanna to let them know where they were. She hadn't made or received a call all week and it was glorious.

She dug her phone out of her backpack and checked the screen. She frowned and held it up to Emily as it continued to ring. "Recognize that number?"

Emily eyed the number and chewed thoughtfully. "Is that a local number?"

"One way to find out." Paige shrugged. "Hello?"

_Is this Paige McCullers?_

"Speaking, who's this?" Paige eyed Emily with a shrug at the question on Emily's face.

_Miss McCullers, this is Chief of Police Gabriel Holbrook in Ivy, Colorado. I need to speak with you about Rachel Willis._

"Who?" Paige frowned and plugged her ear with a finger to block out the noise of the diner. "I'm sorry, where are you calling from?"

Emily stopped eating and looked hard at Paige. "Who is it?" She asked concerned at the tension in Paige's voice.

_I'm calling from Ivy, Colorado. I won't speak over the phone, Miss McCullers except to tell you that a body has been found with your name and number in the pocket. I can put out a request to the state police to you have you picked up if necessary but I would very much appreciate it if you can return to Ivy on your own and speak with me down at the station._

Emily's heart began to race and she reached across the table as Paige paled, visibly and began to tremble. "Paige, what's wrong?" Emily asked panicked. "Who is it?"

Paige could only nod.

_Miss McCullers?_

'Yeah, um, yes, of course." She said shakily. "We're a couple hours away."

_I'll expect you at the station by noon._

"Paige, you're scaring me." Emily pleaded. "Tell me."

Paige dropped her phone on the table and stared at Emily wide eyed. "That girl we picked up last night…" She sucked in a shaky breath. "...she's dead."

* * *

**Couple more things...**

**There is mention of some sensitive themes in this story i.e. bullying, homophobia and suicide. Just putting it out there now in case it hits close to home (does for me, too.) **


	8. Chapter 8

"Paige." Emily said softly. Paige sat in the passenger's seat staring out the window. She hadn't spoken a word since throwing money on the table and telling Emily they had to go back to Ivy. They had been on the road for an hour and Emily had tried to engage her but Paige sat rigid and unmoving, like she might break or explode if touched. Emily touched her anyway, placing her hand on her leg. "Please, talk to me."

Paige turned, tension around her eyes, bright with unshed tears. "I should have done something more." She whispered. " I should have been able-"

"Don't." Emily said sternly. "Don't you dare take this on yourself. I was there, too, and we did everything we could for her. It's all just a terrible accident, Paige." Emily insisted, her eyes flicking back and forth from the road to Paige.

"I don't think so." Paige said sadly and hung her head.

"Why?" Emily frowned and tried to look at her. "Why do you think that?"

Paige inhaled deeply. "She had bandages around her wrist like she had tried to hurt herself before and she just looked, I don't know…" Paige shook her head. "...so alone."

Emily's heart lurched at Paige's description of the girl. She had sensed something was off, too, but wouldn't have been able to describe it like that. She was afraid Paige had seen something in the girl that was familiar to her and that's why she felt so guilty now. "Tell me." She encouraged.

Paige shook her head and breathed a laugh. "It's so stupid now." She grimaced. "But you know high school sucks. Well, maybe it didn't for you." She eyed Emily. "I bet you were one of the cool girls."

Emily winced at the embarrassing label despite no judgement or malice in Paige's tone. "Go on."

"I was pretty sporty as you can imagine. I played field hockey and swam competitively. I was good at both." She shrugged. "I was playing junior varsity field hockey as a freshmen and starting. Some of the older girls didn't take kindly to that and, well, they gave me a hard time."

"You were bullied?" Emily felt her jaw clench in anger.

"Yeah, I guess that's what you'd call it." Paige shrugged. "I was singled out, taunted, excluded that sort of thing. Nothing physical, at least off the field. On the field things could get a little rough but I could handle that."

Emily frowned. "What did you do?"

Paige sighed. "Felt like shit, like there was something wrong with me. Those girls used to be my friends and they just turned on me. I quit the team." She fidgeted with her hands. "I sort of spiralled for a while, you know? When you're a fourteen year old girl that shit matters, belonging matters, what people think of you matters."

"I understand." Emily said.

Paige looked out the window for a long time before she spoke again. "When it got really bad I thought, for a little while, maybe suicide was an actual answer."

Emily stiffened and sucked in a breath. "Oh, God, Paige." She breathed and turned to her.

Paige smiled, grimly. "Obviously that didn't happen and I never tried or anything but I thought about it a lot. I was there." Paige explained. "And that slogan 'It gets better' is totally true and I know that now but when you're in the shit of it that's just meaningless, you know? The hilarious part is it didn't even have anything to do with my being gay. That, at least, I would have understood sort of, right? It was just stupid, competitive, mean girl bullshit."

Emily sighed. "How did you get through it?"

"I don't know really." Paige answered. "Turned the other cheek, I guess. I stayed away from them. After I quit the team there was no reason for us to cross paths and maybe they were too lazy to go out of their way to get to me. It's what they wanted anyway. I just focused on my swimming and I did have other friends. By junior year I had been accepted early to college so, I had that to look forward to and that went a long way to helping me snap out of it. By senior year those girls had graduated and I went back out for the team, made it and started varsity for a season."

"I'm sorry, Paige." Emily offered. "I wish so much that hadn't happened to you."

"It's okay, Em, really." She replied. "It was a long time ago and I got through it and am stronger for it." She turned to the window again, the weight of her guilt and sadness pressing down on her chest and twisting her guts. "And I know our stories would be totally different but I saw something in that girl last night that reminded me of how I felt and I just, I just can't believe I didn't do anything or say anything. Maybe if she thought someone else understood, maybe-"

"No!" Emily said sharply. "Paige, whatever happened it was not your fault. There was nothing we could have done." Emily gritted her teeth, wishing she knew what to say to Paige to ease her mind and let go of her misplaced guilt.

Paige swallowed heavily and nodded though she wasn't convinced. She turned back to the window and curled in on herself.

Emily saw what looked like a fire in the road up ahead. They were nearing Ivy and she slowed when she realized they were road flares. They were approaching the broken down Ford on the side of the road joined now by a patrol car and a tow truck. Emily slowed further as they passed and saw the two officers as they searched the car. One of the officers straightening as they drove by and eyeing them through the window. Emily got the distinct impression he knew who they were.

Paige sat tense and silent as they continued on. Emily took the turn again toward Ivy and began to get nervous herself as they approached the gas station. It was open. There was a car filling up, the driver turned to watch the charger as they drove by, making no effort to hide his interest in them. Ivy was a very small town and strangers would be news. An unexpected death of a young person would be big news. The death of a young person tied to strangers would be off the charts news. Emily was not looking forward to this.

Paige was sitting forward now, her arms wrapped around her middle, looking washed out and like she may be sick at any moment. Emily reached for her hand and Paige responded, lacing their fingers together tightly. "Just breathe, Paige." Emily soothed. "It's going to be alright. We'll speak with the police, tell them what we know and be in Colorado Springs in time for dinner okay?" Emily wasn't sure how much of that she believed but they couldn't afford to both fall apart right now.

Paige nodded. "Okay."

The main street was called just that. They passed a church, grocery and two bars. There were signs for the school off to the right. A post office, drug store and single screen movie theater showing a movie from several months ago lined one side.

There was a small green space with walking paths and a couple of park benches with kids skateboarding off them. Folks walked dogs, ran errands and chatted with their neighbors. It was all a very unremarkable small town.

The police station was not hard to find and Emily pulled into the small adjacent lot and turned off the car. "Paige." She turned to look at her finally. "I love you and I'm right here with you." She said seriously. "You are not alone and we've done nothing wrong, okay?" She eyed Paige hard. She needed her to hear her.

Paige pressed her lips together in a thin line and nodded. "Yeah." She said and breathed deeply. "Yeah, I know."

They attracted more attention from a couple coming out the door of the station as they were heading in and Emily could feel eyes on them from the few officers standing around the lobby. Paige walked near her but not touching and Emily could still feel the tension in her like she was ready to snap.

The officer at the front desk looked up at them as they approached but didn't offer a greeting. His name badge read Davies. "Good morning." Emily began. "I'm Emily Fields and this is Paige McCullers. I believe Chief Holbrook is expecting us." She called up her professional bedside manner to keep her voice even and relaxed.

The young officer offered them is best intimidating gaze, which Emily didn't let rattle her. She had seen far worse. "Wait here." He said shortly. He got up from the desk and disappeared through the station.

"Pleasant." Emily muttered hoping to get a laugh from Paige. She just looked worse and Emily could practically hear her teeth grinding. Emily gripped her left hand hard and gave it a jerk. "Look at me." She hissed and waited for Paige's wide eyes to meet her gaze. "Breathe." Emily took a deep breath and let it out slowly, keeping her eyes locked with Paige.

Paige nodded, holding Emily's gaze, and released a shaky breath. She inhaled slowly along with Emily again and felt some of the tension drain from her shoulders.

A door jerked open loudly to their right and young officer Davies stood in the doorway. "This way." He barked and turned without waiting for them.

Emily frowned and Paige tensed visibly all over again as they hurried to catch up with him. He lead them through the station, passed a receptionist and dispatcher, one officer working at desk and one man in street clothes at the coffee machine. A handful of people and every one of them looked up from what they were doing to watch Paige and Emily walk through the station.

"Chief?" Officer Davies knocked once and pushed open the already ajar door. "They're here."

Emily looked past the officer to the man sitting behind the desk, head bent over a file he couldn't be bothered looking up from as he waved them inside. Emily narrowed her eyes at him displaying a clear play for power by not acknowledging them. Paige remained as rattled as ever.

Emily stepped in the room and pulled Paige in with her. She could feel her temper rising but was determined to keep her cool as Paige was a complete loose cannon at the moment and she wanted to get through this as painlessly as possible and be on their way.

They stood, Emily gripping Paige's arm to keep her from fidgeting while Chief Holbrook continued to try and sweat them. After several more moments he snapped the file closed and stood, looking first at his officer. "Officer Davies, please, close the door." He nodded to the man who did just that, standing against the door as if guarding it from anyone trying to escape.

"Paige McCullers?" He eyed both the women in turn before his eyes settled on Paige. He already knew who they were, for sure. "I"m Chief Gabriel Holbrook." He extended his hand. "We spoke on the phone." He added unnecessarily.

Paige cleared her throat and offered her left hand. "Chief Holbrook." She said mechanically.

He shook her hand awkwardly and Emily watched as he sized her up and eyed her cast before he turned his eyes to her. "And you are?" He asked eyebrows raised.

Emily almost had to stifle a laugh at his obvious posturing. There was no doubt in her mind he already knew the answer to that. He was young for his position, for sure, Emily guessed early to mid thirties. He was unconventionally handsome and had a rich, smooth voice Emily suspected he used to great effect putting people at ease. She had seen it plenty of times before with her colleagues settling irate and frightened patients. "Emily Fields."

"Of course. Dr. Fields." He nodded and admitted his knowledge, shaking her hand. He gestured to the chairs in front of his desk. "I appreciate you coming back all this way to meet with me." He said as if he hadn't already told them he would send the state police to pick them up.

"It's not a problem." Emily offered. "We want to help any way we can."

"Well, I'll try not to take up too much of your time." He smiled thinly and turned his attention back to Paige. "Miss McCullers, why don't you walk me through what happened last night and how you met Rachel Willis?"

Paige shifted uncomfortably. "We never knew her name." She began.

Chief Holbrook held up his hand and flipped open the file on the desk. He slid a photograph in front of them. It was clearly several years old and looked like it was a school photo. The young woman was clean, fresh faced and smiling like she had the whole world in front of her and not a trace of the darkness they had seen last night. "Is this the woman you met?"

"Yes." Paige swallowed, thickly. "Yes, that's her."

"Go on." He encouraged. "From the beginning."

Emily watched, nervously, ready to step in and help Paige out but she really hoped it wasn't necessary. The Chief looked like he was wanted to accuse them of something if they said the wrong thing.

It seemed though, finally being able to do something snapped Paige out of her daze. She took a breath and spoke with a clear, strong voice. "We were on the road to Colorado Springs from Dodge City. We've been on the road for about a week from Rosewood, Pennsylvania. We saw, um, Rachel, walking down the road." Paige swallowed and took a breath.

"What time was this?" Chief Holbrook interjected.

Paige considered. "It was getting dark, so maybe 8:30." She paused and when he didn't speak again she went on. "We didn't stop right away but then we saw her car and we just thought we should help her out. It was a ways back to Ivy so we turned around."

"And?" He encouraged.

"And we offered her a ride." Paige went on. "She was reluctant at first and she-"

"She didn't want to go with you?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"She was wary of strangers, I'm sure." Paige stared back at him. "As any woman alone should be." She paused again to see if her was going to interrupt again and then went on. "She asked if we would give her a ride to Ivy and we said, yes."

"So, from where her car was to town was what, ten minutes?" Chief Holbrook asked. "What did you talk about?"

"We didn't drop her off in town." Paige corrected. "She wanted to get out at the gas station outside of town." Paige shrugged. "I tried to get her to talk, asked her about herself but she didn't say much. She, um, said she used to be from Ivy and was back in town for a funeral. She didn't say whose."

"We offered to wait for her to get gas if that's what she needed." Emily interjected. "And then drive her back to her car but she told us that wasn't what she needed."

"She insisted she was fine." Paige added. "We didn't want to leave her like that. I mean, the place wasn't even open but that was what she wanted. That's why I gave her my number, I guess. In case she needed anything."

Chief Holbrook looked between them. "Is there anything else you'd like to say?"

Paige's eyes flicked to Emily briefly before returning to the Chief. "What happened to her?" She asked hesitantly. "I mean, how did she kill herself?"

Chief Holbrook's eyes widened and he sat forward in his chair. "What makes you think she committed suicide?"

Paige blinked at him. "Um, I don't know, I just assumed." She glanced to Emily who frowned her confusion. "She seemed so troubled and she had bandages on her wrist from what looked like a previous attempt."

Chief Holbrook opened his file again and took out several photos. He glanced at them briefly before fanning them out in front of Paige and Emily. "Rachel Willis' body was found this morning. She had been shot three times in the chest."


	9. Chapter 9

Emily gasped, her hands covering her mouth in horror. The photos were graphic and vivid, showing the scene and the body from varying distances. The young woman's body lay crumpled on the rocky ground, her eyes open and cloudy, face slack and gray. Her arms and legs lay out from her body and blood, nearly black, darkened her chest and stained the ground.

Paige stared at the photos, blinking rapidly and waiting for her brain to catch up with what her eyes were seeing. "Murdered?" She whispered and shook her head. " I don't understand...Who?" She looked up at Holbrook.

He studied their reactions carefully. "If I knew that I'd have solved the case already." He shuffled the photos around. "She was found in the old quarry by a couple of kids out for an early morning swim. It's a popular place with the highschoolers. We haven't located the murder weapon yet but we have officers dragging the quarry, at least as far out as someone could reasonably throw a handgun."

Holbrook's voice drifted to the back of her mind as her eyes flicked across the photos landing on the close up of the wounds to her chest. She picked it up and studied it, her brow furrowed in concentration. The girl's shirt was open, exposing part of her chest and giving Paige a clear view of one of the wounds. "You're going to be looking for a gun for a long time, Chief." She set the photo back on the desk. "These are knife wounds."

The Chief blinked in startled surprise before his eyes narrowed at Paige dangerously then flicked to his man. "Officer Davies, please escort Dr. Fields to the interview room and get her a cup of coffee."

Paige and Emily both stiffened, eyes snapping to each other in alarm. "Whoa, whoa! " Paige's hand shot up in a defensive gesture. "Wait a minute, here!" She said frantically.

She twisted in her chair as the young officer came over and laid a hand on Emily's arm, encouraging her to stand. "Ma'am, if you'd-"

"Hey!" Paige rocketed out of her chair. "Get your fucking hands off her!"

Emily's eyes went wide. "Paige, it's alright." She soothed.

"The hell it is!" Paige growled, her eyes challenging the young officer as she stepped forward

He accepted and stepped toward her as well, his hand out as if to move Paige back, physically and, before she knew what she was doing her right hand came up hard, knocking his wrist away with her cast. He jumped back, turning slightly, his hand going to the weapon at his hip.

"Easy! Easy!" Chief Holbrook stood, his hands out in a calming gesture. He couldn't believe how fast this just got out of control. "Take it easy for chrissakes!" He eyed everyone in the room. The McCullers woman looked like she wanted to take on his officer and Emily Fields looked scared she just might try it. "Officer, thank you, that will be all."

The officer relaxed slightly but didn't move and didn't take his eyes off Paige.

"Officer Davies!" Holbrook snapped and waited for the man to meet his eyes "You are dismissed, thank you."

The officer straightened finally, his hands dropping to his sides. He gave his boss a sharp nod before glaring at Paige one more time and stalking out of the room.

"Miss McCullers." Holbrook began gently. "May I call you, Paige?"

"No." Paige growled.

"Dr. Fields?" Holbrook gestured for her to sit back down

"Emily is fine." Emily sighed and shook her head, finally able to breathe again.

"Miss McCullers, I apologize." Holbrook tried again. "I didn't mean to alarm you and you've been very cooperative. Can we, please, start over?"

Paige glared at him, her teeth grinding together in anger as she worked out what she wanted to do. She suspected he had tried to separate them to make sure their stories lined up.

"Paige." Emily said softly and put a hand on her arm. "Please, sit down. It's alright."

"What the fuck is going on?" Paige barked, angrily. "Stupid cop and dumb cop?"

Holbrook bristled. "You've made your point, Miss McCullers." He said tightly.

Paige wasn't done. "You obviously know who we are." She shot back. "You know what I do for a living and why I would know a knife wound from a bullet wound and, forgive me for saying so, but why the hell don't _you_?" She asked snarkily, eyes raised. "It's forensics 101. Even a small town-"

"Paige, enough!" Emily warned seeing the Chief's face flush with anger at Paige's imminent insults.

Paige's head jerked to Emily startled by her sharp tone and she bit down on her next words and Emily took advantage of her moment of silence. "Chief Holbrook, we came here in good faith to answer your questions and help you with your case but if you honestly think we had something to do with this poor girl's murder I would like to call a lawyer before this conversation goes any further." Emily's calm demeanor belied her anxiety when inside she felt much more like Paige was behaving, angry and frightened.

Holbrook blew out a sharp breath and sat back in his chair. "That won't be necessary, Dr. Fields, um, Emily. I apologize again. I handled this badly."

Emily nodded, satisfied with his apology. "Thank you, for saying so."

Paige sat tense and unconvinced. "This is bullshit." She muttered.

Holbrook turned to her. "Miss McCullers-"

"Oh, for chrissake's call me Paige." She snapped. "You make me sound like a school teacher."

Holbrook breathed a laugh. "Paige, I didn't mean to offend you. Please, try to understand we're just doing our jobs as, besides the killer, you two are the last people to see Rachel Willis alive. I don't believe you had anything to do with her death beyond what you already told me. I would also ask that you consent to fingerprints and a DNA swab to rule out any trace evidence that may be found on the body." He eyed them both hopefully. "I can get a warrant, of course, but that will take time, you understand, and I would appreciate not having to do that."

"That's fine." Emily agreed and looked to Paige.

"Sure." She said sullenly. "Whatever."

"Thank you." His eyes fixed on Paige. "This is a small town, Paige. Barely over a thousand people and we are a small department, with even smaller resources but we are far from stupid." He pinned Paige with a look and waited.

"Right." Paige's mouth quirked and she was beginning to calm down "Sorry about that."

"The last homicide we had was in 2006 and that was a bar fight." He explained. "Before that it was twenty years ago. We have one coroner for the county and right now he is tied up two towns away and we can't get him here for another couple of days so you'll have to forgive us our lack of experience in the field but I assure you we are a competent, resourceful team."

Paige cocked her head to the side, considering. "I can help you." She offered.

His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Let me take a look at the body. I may be able to give you some information to get you started before the coroner gets here." Paige shrugged. "Get you looking for the right weapon, at least."

Holbrook reddened with embarrassment. She was right and that was a total rookie mistake, one that he wasn't going to repeat by violating the chain of custody and letting a civilian outsider and possible suspect tamper with evidence. "There's no way." He answered, firmly.

"Look." Paige sat forward. "I understand police procedure. I won't touch anything. You'll be there to make sure of that and you can do any touching necessary. You can have all the DNA you need to rule me out. I'll just do a visual external and maybe help you get more of a idea what happened to her." Paige raised her eyebrows, expectantly. She really wanted to help if she could and they certainly seemed like they needed it. "I mean, you need us to definitively identify the body, right?"

The town didn't have a hospital and, following the fingerprinting and DNA swab, the three of the them walked down the street, turning heads all the way, to the local medical clinic. The nearest hospital was the better part of an hour away but the clinic while small, was modern and capable of handling everything but the most serious illness or injury. It was also built with a small cooler and, for lack of a better word, morgue to store and examine bodies before they could be transported either to a bigger facility or to the funeral home.

Emily stood with her back to the door out of the way. She didn't want to complicate things by getting involved. She doubted she could add anything anyway. This was Paige's territory.

Holbrook slid open one of the two drawers in the cooler. They were just going to leave the body on the sliding tray. The less they moved it around the less chance for contamination. Paige didn't bother putting on gloves to remind herself not to touch anything but she asked Holbrook to so he could move the body and help her get a look at something if she needed it.

Holbrook peeled the sheet back. Her body was exactly as they found it and Paige already knew she would ask him to, at least partially, removed her shirt. She started at her head, swallowing heavily as she looked at the familiar face of only a day ago before she slammed her clinical detachment into place.

She looked down at her hands. "Defensive wounds." Both showed swelling and abrasions on the knuckles as well as knife wound incisions. "She fought hard." Paige said and gave her a nod. The young woman did not go easily. She didn't want to die and somehow that knowledge eased some of Paige's guilt though only replacing it with rage toward whoever was responsible for her her death. "Keep your eye out for someone with superficial injuries, perhaps."

"Yes." Holbrook replied. "We came to the same conclusions." Holbrook said casually, clearly trying to save face.

Paige's eyes flicked to him and she fought a smirk. This was not the time and he felt badly enough already. "What time was she found?"

"7:30 this morning about." Holbrook answered.

"We dropped her off I guess around 9 pm. That gives us a window of ten hours or so when the murder occurred."What was her stage of rigor at that time?" Paige asked moving around the body. "Advanced? Complete?"

Holbrook pursed his lips and frowned but didn't reply.

"Okay." Paige understood his hesitation. "Try to bend her arm."

Holbrook nodded and picked up her arm trying to flex it at the elbow. He couldn't without a great deal of effort.

"That's complete rigor." Paige explained. "It sets in eight to twelve hours after death. What was her body like when you found her?"

"Not that stiff." He said. "Half that maybe."

Paige blew out a breath. "So, moderate, maybe." She was really just guessing without having assessed the body herself. "So, maybe killed between midnight and 4am?"

Holbrook shrugged. "I'll buy that."

"From the amount of blood at the scene in the photos and what I can tell of the lividity on her back." Paige crouched to peer at the exposed skin on her back. She could see white splotches where she had been laying on rocks and blood could not pool. "It looks like she died where you found her and hadn't been moved."

"I would agree with that as well." Holbrook nodded.

"Can you pull her shirt open?" Paige straightened and stood over the body. "I want to look at the wounds."

He undid the top few buttons and widened the neck of her shirt. The three wounds were visible clustered over her heart. "Definitely a knife." Paige pointed at the small holes. "But I can understand why you might assume otherwise. Once the tissue is damaged like this the tension pulls open the skin and rounds the wound. You can tell, though, if you look carefully it's slightly teardrop shaped. Also, there is no gun powder stippling around the wound." She waved Holbrook over. "Place your fingers gently on either side of the wound and press the skin closed."

He did as she instructed and the wound lengthened and narrowed into a clear incision. "Jesus." He breathed.

Paige nodded. "See how it's pointed at one end and rounded slightly at the other? That's a single edged blade. And here," She waved a finger over the wound. "That crescent shaped abrasion around the wound is from a hilt. Also, the wound edges are smooth so not a serrated blade."

Paige straightened. "That's about all I can tell you from out here. With an autopsy we could determine angle of entry and length of the blade. You might be able to get and x-ray. There's always a chance the blade broke on a bone and you can find a piece to match a broken knife to later."

"Anything else?" Holbrook asked hopefully.

Paige considered for a moment. "Do you mind unwrapping that bandage around her left wrist?"

He frowned. "What for?"

"I just ,um, I thought." Paige shrugged. "Forget it."

"No, it's fine." He picked at the strip of tape securing the gauze and it came away easily. He unwound the bandage.

Paige's eyes widened. A tattoo. She had recently gotten a tattoo of a flower on the inside of her wrist. It was small but sharply designed and the color, orange and pink with wide triangular open petals, stood out starkly against the colorless flesh. Paige bent and looked hard at the image. There, running right down the middle was what she had expected to see. A thin, linear scar down her wrist, hidden nearly completely by the ink. This girl _had_ been in trouble, she was sure, and now she was dead.

"Does that mean anything to you?" Holbrook asked.

"No, not exactly, but...um..." Paige shook her head. "There's a scar I would think is from a previous suicide attempt and she's covered it up." Paige shrugged. "I can't imagine it wouldn't have meant something to her."


	10. Chapter 10

"I need to get back to the station and get started on this." Holbrook said and held the door for them.

Paige blinked in the sunlight, her mind whirling around all the information they had. "There's three hours, at least, before whatever happened to her happened that needs to be accounted for." She mused. "How far away is the quarry from the gas station?"

"It's on the other side of town." Holbrook replied. "Three miles, maybe."

"She could have walked." Emily added. "That would take some time."

"Some, yes." Holbrook agreed. "But that's not what we think happened. There was an old bicycle found at the scene. We think she rode it there."

"Where'd that come from?" Emily asked.

"The gas station." Holbrook answered. "I really shouldn't be talking to you all about this."

"That's fine, I understand." Emily offered him a small smile. "We don't need to know."

"Yes, we do." Paige interjected. "Did she know the bike was there? Where was she for three hours? She grew up here, right? Was she with someone? Old friends? Family?" She waved her hands around as they approached the station and her car. "In my experience which, admittedly, is limited, a stabbing death like this may be heat of the moment. Not many people set out to commit murder with a knife. It's uncertain, messy and intimate. Maybe she was meeting someone? She knew her killer and had an argument and it escalated." She looked past Holbrook and Emily as her mind ran through other possible scenarios. "She spent those three hours somewhere, have your officers-"

"Those are all excellent questions" Holbrook raised a hand to stop her. "As I said, we are competent and are looking into everything."

"Sorry." Paige mumbled and frowned, unsatisfied. "I'm sure you know what you're doing, Chief."

Emily leaned against the car. "Is there anything else we can do for you, Chief Holbrook?"

Holbrook's eyes flicked to them both before he looked away over their heads and inhaled deeply. "I'm afraid, there is." He began, apologetically, and blew out the breath. "I need you to stick around for a few days."

Emily straightened off the car. "I don't understand." She looked to Paige who stood mouth agape. "We can't leave?"

"I'm sorry." Holbrook winced. "I really appreciate everything you've done to help and, at this point, you're not even persons of interest-"

"At _this_ point?" Paige snapped, angrily. "If it weren't for us you'd still be-"

"I know." Holbrook stopped her. "Like I said, I'm grateful but I'm sure as hell not going to compound one mistake with another and I wouldn't be doing my job if I let you leave before, at least, fingerprints come back confirming your identities and I get your record checks back-"

"How long?" Emily asked defeated and raked hands through her hair with a sigh.

"I don't know exactly." Holbrook admitted. "Two or three days. Maybe more."

"Jesus Christ." Paige growled. "No good deed goes unpunished, right Chief?"

Chief Holbrook frowned and, for his part, looked genuinely regretful. "Look." He said and held out his hands, open palmed. "There's a real nice bed and breakfast at the edge of town. The woman that runs it, Eleanor Fulton, is a good friend of mine and I've already told her to expect you. There are no other guests so you'll have the place to yourselves."

"Aren't you considerate." Paige snarked.

Holbrook sighed. "She'll take real good care of you." His face brightened. "And she knows everything about everyone in this town so maybe you can satisfy some of your curiosity." He said to placate her.

Emily sucked in a breath and grimaced at his, seemingly, harmless suggestion when she saw the look of interest on Paige's face. She knew , from recent experience, Paige was like a dog with a bone at a mystery and they, through no fault of their own, had landed smack in the middle of one.

"We'll be fine, Chief." Emily assured him. She couldn't pinpoint exactly why but, despite his earlier missteps, she trusted Gabriel Holbrook and she sensed Paige did as well or she'd be kicking up more of a fuss.

The Chief's eyes narrowed at Paige. He could already see her wheels turning again and her eyes flashed with intent. He considered, not for the first time, if there was another way to handle this. He had read all about Paige McCullers and Emily Fields before they arrived. He had even gone so far as to call Rosewood PD and speak with Officer Toby Cavanaugh and his eyes widened with Cavanaugh's impressive opinion of the two women as as honorable, intelligent and capable as they come. It sounded as if he thought they should be knighted. Somehow, though, that only made him worry more. "Stay out of trouble, McCullers." He pointed a finger at her. "I'll be in touch."

Paige grinned at him. "Who, me?"

Paige pulled into the long circular gravel drive leading up to the large three story colonial at the top of the hill. The house was gorgeous and well maintained with full blooming gardens and well manicured lawns overlooking a small rocky gorge behind the property.

There was a large wrap around front porch with white wicker rockers and a porch swing. She climbed out of the car and stretched as if they had been on the road for hours instead of the minutes it had taken to get here from the police station. She felt like she had been through the ringer today and was still processing everything that had happened. At least they had a beautiful place to stay during their captivity.

Emily's arms went around her from behind and Paige sighed, leaning back into her and Emily laid her head against Paige's back, squeezing her tightly. Paige soaked in the feel of her embrace for a moment before turning in her arms and getting her arms around her in return. "Why does it feel like I haven't held you in forever?" Emily mumbled into her neck as she ran her hands up and down Paige's back.

"Jesus, I know." Paige tangled her hands into Emily's hair and pulled her away just far enough to get her lips on hers in a searing kiss designed to clear her mind and ease her tension.

"Mmmmm." Emily hummed and relaxed further into her embrace. "That's nice." She mumbled around Paige's lips as she slipped her hands down Paige's back, sneaking her fingertips beneath the waistband of her jeans.

"I feel like this is where I make a joke about getting a room." A voice spoke from nearby.

Emily yelped in surprise and jumped away from Paige, her face flushing with embarrassment. Paige's eyes widened and she wiped her mouth, sheepishly ,as she looked up at the woman standing on the front porch, arms crossed, amusement flashing in her eyes. She was short and dark skinned, her hair tied up on top of her head with a strong body looking like she was no stranger to hard work.

"But that would be too obvious, I suppose." She finished.

"Ms. Fulton?" Emily asked, trying not to laugh.

"The very same." The woman replied and came down the steps. "Gabe told me to be expecting you, two." She closed the distance between them. "Eleanor Fulton." She said with a smile and extended her hand. "You can call me Eleanor. You must be Dr. Emily Fields."

Emily smiled. "It's very nice to meet you, Eleanor and, please, just call me, Emily." She looked around at the property. "This is a beautiful place. We're sorry to drop in on you like this."

"Honey, please." She eyed Emily. "I know why you have to be here. I'm sorry your introduction to our little town has to be under these circumstances. It's such a tragedy what's happened and you two got dragged into it for having done a kindness for a stranger. That poor girl." Eleanor clucked her tongue in sympathy. She turned to Paige. "Paige McCullers, I presume?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Paige offered her left hand for her customary awkward shake. "Thank you for having us."

"It's my pleasure, honey." She smiled warmly. "I hope I can help make all this a little less unpleasant for you." She headed back up the porch steps. "Well, grab your things and I'll show you to your room. When you're ready come on back down. I've made some food. You can call it whatever meal you like but it needs eating." She turned back to look at them as they followed her into the house. "It's not too early for cocktails either as far as I'm concerned."

Emily and Paige grinned at each other as they trailed her into the house.

"Jesus, why am I so fucking tired?" Paige sighed as she flopped onto the enormous, four posted king bed. The room was simple, the bed and chests rough and handmade looking but very comfortable. There was a sitting area with overstuffed loveseat and chair around a small wood coffee table. They had a private bath with shower and separate, deep claw footed tub. "What time is it?"

"Um, 3:30 ish." Emily replied and hefted their bags onto the loveseat and sat down between them. "What now?"

"I think I could use a nap." Paige sighed, her comment punctuated with a loud rumble of her stomach. "But first," She propped herself up on her arms. "I have needs."

Emily smiled and moved to the bed, perching on the edge and slipping her hand beneath Paige's t-shirt to graze her nails over her stomach. She was warmed to see Paige relaxed for the first time today. "Well, let's take care of those needs, then, shall we?"

Paige squirmed. "That tickles." She laughed and pulled Emily down on top of her, pulling her tank top out from her jeans and sliding her hands beneath to run across her skin along her back. "Maybe we should wait and call it dinner later?" She pulled Emily down for a kiss.

Emily didn't protest and let her lips move along with Paige's, slipping her tongue between her lips to taste her. "That would be rude." Emily whispered when she pulled away.

"You think so?" Paige captured Emily's mouth again in her own just as her stomach loudly protested the delay.

"I think maybe your gastrointestinal tract has other ideas." Emily grinned.

"I love it when you talk all sexy anatomical." Paige laughed and sat up, pushing Emily up with her. "One need at a time, I guess."

"Here's the plan." Emily offered as she stood and tucked her top back in. "Food and cocktails, maybe on the porch followed by a walk around the property so we don't scandalize Eleanor by turning in too early but I couldn't help notice that tub in there and I very much want to get in it tonight." She gripped Paige's shirt in her fist and pulled her in for another kiss. "With you."

"Mmmmm." Paige groaned her agreement into Emily's mouth. "That sounds so fucking good."

Emily smiled around her mouth and nipped her bottom lip. "You took the words right out of my mouth."

Paige sat cross legged on the porch swing, rocking gently, as she skillfully balanced her plate and beer while mopping up her plate with her last piece of bread. Her mother always hated when she did that, said it was ill mannered but Eleanor seemed to take it as a compliment and smiled proudly. "Can I get you ladies anything else?"

"No, thank you." Emily swallowed her last bite as well and washed it down with a sip of wine. "That was perfect." She curled her legs into the wicker rocker and cradled her wine.

Through an unspoken agreement they had talked easily and naturally without mentioning the murder. Eleanor asked about the places they had been already and where they were next headed. Paige, enthusiastically explained to her about Comic-Con and who she was going dressed as and why, while Emily tried not to laugh. And failed. They each spoke about their work at the hospital and Eleanor told them a little history of the town, the landscape and how she came to live in Ivy.

As the sun sank low in the sky Eleanor rose and collected the dishes. "I'm going to leave you ladies to it. I have some work to do in the office. If you would lock the door when you come in and if there's anything you need help yourself. I'm sure you can find your way around."

Emily uncurled herself from the chair. "Let me help." She started to rise.

"Absolutely not." Eleanor barked and pinned her with a look. "You're guests and I treat my guests just like my Mama taught me." She nodded sharply.

Emily sat back to indicate her obedience.

Paige fiddled with her beer bottle, debating her next question. They had had such a nice evening and she was loathe to risk bringing it all down but one question weighed heavily on her mind. A lot of questions did but this one rested right at the surface. "Eleanor?" She asked finally. "Did you know Rachel Willis?"

If Eleanor was surprised at the question she didn't show it. "I did, yes." She nodded sadly. "Though not well. I knew her mother better. I was a teacher before I retired to run this place. I had her mother in class."

Paige nodded. "She told me she was coming back to Ivy for a funeral. Do you know who died?"

Eleanor's mouth thinned to a grim line. "Her Mama died a couple of weeks ago. It was a brief battle with breast cancer."

Paige frowned. "So Rachel never made it back to see her before she died?"

"No." Eleanor agreed. "She didn't and it breaks my heart to think about it but I take comfort that now, however tragic their reunion, they can be together."

Paige pursed her lips, swallowing heavily at the knot in her throat. "Yeah." She nodded. "I guess that's right."

"I asked Gabe if I should or shouldn't speak to you about Rachel." She looked at both Paige and Emily in turn. "I figured you would have some questions. He said it was okay to talk about her with you. Her story is not one that's not common knowledge around here so, whenever you're ready I'm happy to tell you. Better you hear it from me anyway then one of the silly, little gossips in town."

Paige nodded, stiffly. She wasn't ready tonight. She was wrung out and tears burned behind her eyes.

"Thank you, Eleanor." Emily answered for her. "We would like to know more and it seems we have the time but we won't keep you from your work tonight."

Eleanor nodded in understanding. "Goodnight, ladies." She disappeared into the house.

Emily moved from her chair over to the swing, wrapping her arms around Paige and pulling her close. Paige released a shuddering breath and hot tears splashed onto Emily's arm as she gave into her grief at the loss the young woman she'd known for only a few minutes but, somehow, she'd connected with on a level only she could truly understand.

Emily pushed off gently with her foot to set the swing moving before folding her legs beneath as Paige curled into her, resting her head in her lap. Emily rubbed gentle circles over her back and ran her fingers through her hair, soothingly. She could feel Paige's breathing ease with the motion and touch and her body slowly relaxed.

"I'm so sorry, Paige." Emily said softly after a long while. "I wish, more than anything, I could make this better for you."

"You do make it better, Em." Paige breathed. "You have no idea how much."

Emily smiled. "I'm sorry about your trip. This isn't what you had in mind."

"The trip's not over and we still have lots of time." She breathed a laugh. "And I wanted adventure, right?" She shifted to look up at Emily. "And I am most definitely on it with the right person."

Emily's heart soared. She had never loved this woman more. "I love you." She whispered and bent to kiss her softly.

Paige let her eyes drift closed. "I believe you promised me a bath." She sighed.

* * *

**Wow! I've received some really amazing reviews the last few days and the way some of you read so carefully and consider the characters' attitudes and intentions really blows my mind. It even makes me think of the story in ways I, maybe, hadn't originally intended. Thank you for that. I'm excited you're so into it. I hope you continue to enjoy and it really makes me want to continue stories for this interpretation of Paily. I really love them, too.**


	11. Chapter 11

"Ah, it's hot." Paige hissed as she dipped her toes in the steaming soapy water.

Emily was already in, hair clipped in a pile on top of her head and lavender scented bubbled water coming up over the top on her breasts as she relaxed against one end. "Oh, come on." She laughed. "It's supposed to be hot."

Paige lowered herself into the opposite side on the tub with a hiss, the water coming near to spilling over the side as she settled, her cast hand hanging over the side. She stretched out her legs, going out of her way to poke Emily in the side with her toes, making her giggle and squirm and sloshing more water. "That's better." Paige sighed as she got accustomed to the heat, letting the scent and heat work it's way into her tense muscles.

Emily smiled, content and in love, hating why they were here but not wishing to change a thing about this moment. She reached for Paige's foot and lifted it out of the water to rest on her chest, wrapping her hands around it and pressing her thumbs into her sole in deep circles.

"Oh, my, God." Paige groaned. "That feels so good." She let her head drop back and closed her eyes in unrestrained ecstasy as Emily worked her magic over her foot. "Why are you so good to me?" She murmured, in danger of falling asleep.

Emily cocked her head, surprised. It was so obvious to her. "Because you're amazing, beautiful, funny, smart and compassionate and I love you. I'm in love with you." She dug her thumb into Paige's arch eliciting a deep groan of pleasure from her. "And I love making you feel good." She set Paige's foot back in the water at her side and picked up the other one repeating her motions. "But make no mistake, woman. I'm getting just as much out of it as you."

Paige's mouth quirked into a smile and she cracked and eye. "Oh?"

"Oh, yes." Emily gave her a cocky grin. "I'm bending you to my will with every passing moment. You will do my bidding, be at my beck and call and serve my every whim."

"Yes." Paige grinned, playing along. "All of those things are true. How may I please you, Mistress?"

Emily laughed. "I like the sound of that." She released Paige's foot and sat up reaching for her hips and pulling Paige toward her. Emily slid around until she settled Paige on her lap, Paige's legs spread out on either side of her. Emily pursed her lips in thought, shifting again to make sure Paige was positioned just right, her center open for her. "What do you think happens now?" She smiled seductively and ran her hands along the inside of Paige's thighs beneath the water.

Paige sucked in a breath, lips parting with the teasing caress as her body heated far beyond the temperature of the water. "I think I'm looking forward to finding out."

"Hmmm." Emily slid her hand between Paige's legs, parting her with her fingers, able to feel her slick wetness even through the water. She pressed into her slowly, wrapping her left arm around her back pulling her close and holding her as she opened her with three fingers.

"Oh, God…." Paige groaned and wrapped her left arm around Emily's neck for balance and to hold her close."Yes." She hissed as Emily curled her fingers against her contracting walls.

Paige jerked, sloshing water over the side as Emily's thumb circled her clit, another deep groan tearing from her throat as amazing sensation flip flopped her insides. "Holy shit." She breathed, her head dropping down onto Emily's shoulder as her hips started to rock against Emily's hand.

The motion churned the water making even more of a mess and Emily stopped moving in her. "You have to be still." She said and squeezed Paige tighter around the waist.

"Mmmm, I can't." Paige groaned, pressing her hips against Emily's hand again to get her moving. "Go, go, go." She begged.

Emily laughed. "Be still and and I'll make it worth your while." She commanded.

"Oh, God, don't make me." Paige whined desperately, her impending orgasm held in check as long as Emily refused to move.

Emily tugged the back of Paige's hair to pick her head up, searching out her mouth with her own and kissing her deeply. "Submit." She growled into her mouth and wiggled her fingers inside her.

Paige's hips jerked again but, with effort she held still, holding Emily tightly around the neck as Emily began to move in her again, slowly, teasingly against her oversensitive skin.

Paige's climax built and trembled in her unbearably as Emily worked her over and she panted with the effort not to move as her belly clenched and her walls tightened with need around her hand. "Oh, shit, Em." She cried and buried her face in Emily's shoulder, digging her fingers into her skin as her orgasm broke over her. Wave after wave of sensation assaulted her made more intense by her stillness.

She sobbed a breath as the contractions released their hold and her body slumped forward onto Emily who leaned back against the tub and eased her hand from between her legs. "Fucking hell." Paige panted a laugh and tried to push herself up. "Am I hurting you?"

"No." Emily smiled and brushed damp hair off Paige's face. "I'm fine."

"Okay, good." Paige sighed and dropped her head back onto Emily's shoulder. "Because I'm not moving."

Emily smoothed her hands across Paige's soapy back. She managed to locate a sponge and scrubbed it across her shoulders and down her back, over her ass and hips. "Feeling better?"

"Mmmm, yes." Paige shifted to get her mouth around Emily's shoulder and neck, biting down and increasing pressure slowly.

Emily tensed, moving her hands to Paige's chest ready to push her away. "What are you doing?" She hissed though it wasn't quite painful, just startling, as Paige's teeth locked around the thick trap muscle at the junction of her neck and shoulder.

"Marking my territory." Paige managed to mumble around her mouthful.

"Mmmm." Emily arched as Paige tightened her hold, the pressure nearing discomfort while sending streaks of pleasure straight to her core, loving the primal feet of Paige's teeth on her.

Paige let her go, licking and kissing at the marks left on Emily's skin. "We better take this one to the bed." She whispered before clamping down in a fresh spot on her shoulder.

Emily jerked and sucked in a breath. "What's wrong with right here?"

Paige released her again. "I want to feel you move." She said as she kissed along her neck. "And I can't get my cast wet."

"Oh." Emily laughed. "Right." Emily pulled the plug with her toe and the water burbled and sucked down the drain.

Paige pressed Emily down onto the bed naked and still damp from the bath. Paige hovered over her, supporting herself on her hands and looked her over. Emily's skin glistened, her chest rising and falling with deep, impatient breaths as her eyes locked on to Paige's waiting to see what she would do.

"What are you thinking?" Emily asked moving her hands to Paige's shoulders, running them down her arms.

"I've been wondering how long it would take to get you off just by stimulating your breasts." Paige answered, a gleam in her eyes.

"Oh, no, Paige." Emily shook her head. "Too long."

"Hmmm." Paige considered that as she bent to kiss along the tops of Emily amazing breasts in turn. "I think I like that challenge." Her eyes flicked to the clock. It was only 8:30. "It's early. We've got lots of time." She blew a cool stream of air over Emily's heated, sensitive nipples.

"Maybe _you_ have time." Emily squirmed, her skin tingling with the temperature change. "You're already taken care of."

"Patience." Paige whispered. "I'll take care of you, too." She swirled her tongue around a nipple, hardening it to a point.

"Mmmmm." Emily arched her back, searching for more. "I think we need to put a time limit on it." She gasped as a gush of wetness coated her legs and her clit throbbed with need.

Paige laughed. "I think I can get it done in under half an hour." She descended on Emily's breasts, her mouth lavishing one and her left hand kneading the other.

"Half an hour!" Emily groaned, writhing under the onslaught, her body responding and lighting up with near painful arousal. "You're high. Ten minutes."

"Twenty." Paige countered and sucked a nipple into her mouth, nipping with her teeth.

"Oh…that's good..." Emily gasped. "Fif...fifteen…."

"Done." Paige growled and got to work with hands, lips, tongue and teeth.

Emily sucked in a breath and raised her arms above her head allowing Paige better access. She had a very serious interest in her success.

Fourteen minutes later Emily was delirious with need, her body on fire and vibrating with unspent desire. She rolled glassy, hooded eyes to the clock and watched it turn. "Time's….up…." She rasped.

"Damnit!" Paige sat up with a frown. "I almost had you. Was I close?" She seemed completely unaware of Emily's desperate condition.

Emily tangled her hand into Paige's hair and jerked her head down near her face. "Choose another way." She growled. "Now."

"Oh, shit, sorry" Paige grinned, sheepishly. "So, I _was_ close." She kissed her way down Emily's length, diving between her legs with pleasure. Both of theirs.

* * *

Paige's eyes popped open with the sunrise. She couldn't remember the last time she had gotten ten hours of sleep. She felt, relaxed, well rested and well satisfied. She turned and found herself nose to nose with the love of her life.

Emily lay sprawled on her back, pretty much exactly as she had passed out after her thunderous climax. Legs splayed, arms out to the sides, hair fanned out across the pillows and partially covering her face with a tangled sheet covering her seductively. Her eyes rolled beneath her lids in a dream Paige hoped was sweet, her lips slightly parted and breathing slowly and deeply across Paige's face she was the most beautiful creature Paige had even seen and, like almost every time Paige woke up next to her, she wondered what she had done to deserve the love of a woman as breathtaking in all ways as Emily Fields.

She was so peaceful and Paige didn't mean to wake her but she couldn't help from touching her as she brushed the hair off her face and stroked a finger down her cheek, tracing a path down her neck to her chest.

"Mmmm." Emily's eyelids fluttered open with a lazy smile. "Morning."

"Sorry." Paige leaned in for a soft kiss. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Emily kissed her back. "Did, too."

"I'm going to go for a run." Paige traced small circles across her shoulder. "Do you want to come?"

"Yes." Emily's eyes flashed. "But not running with you."

Paige frowned, briefly. "Ha, ha." She grinned after a moment. "Very funny."

"Thought you'd like that." Emily smiled and pulled the sheet more comfortably around her.

Paige kissed her shoulder and pushed herself, reluctantly out of bed, disappearing into the bathroom.

Emily dragged her eyes open a few minutes later when Paige emerged dressed in her standard black compression shorts and sports bra. She perched on the edge of the bed to pull on socks and running shoes and Emily, as always, took every opportunity to appreciate her body.

Emily propped herself up on her arm and scrubbed sleep from her face. "You can't go out there like that." She mumbled.

"Like what?" Paige tightened the laces on her shoes.

"You need to put a shirt on." Emily stated.

"What for?" Paige turned and eyed her then looked down at herself in confusion. "I always run like this."

"Well, not today." Emily insisted. "We've attracted enough attention already and I don't need to find out in an hour that you've been accused of exhibitionism and are languishing in jail."

Paige snorted a laugh. "Come on."

"Paige, I'm serious." Emily pinned her with a look. "It's a small town and we have eyes all over us. Please, put a shirt on."

Paige frowned at her for a moment. "Fine." She rummaged in her bag for moment before slipping a black, wicking, under armour t-shirt over her head. It fit like a second skin leaving little to the imagination. "Better?" She held her arms out, eyebrows raised expectantly.

Emily sighed and fought a smile. If anything it made her even sexier. "You really don't have any idea how you look to other people do you?"

Paige looked down at herself again. "What?" She said in exasperation.

"Nevermind." Emily sighed. "Please, be careful."

* * *

**Again, thank you so much for the reviews. I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to return them, personally. I always have the best intentions and then I lose track of them when they all get lumped together. I really appreciate all your guesses and insights. If you have something to say that requires a response PM it that way I know for sure you want to hear from me. **


	12. Chapter 12

Paige popped in her earbuds, clipping her iPod to her waist and headed away from town starting the timer on her watch. She wasn't really sure what Emily's concern was but she thought it best to keep as low a profile as she could and would stay away from the more populated spots.

She had no idea, really, where she was headed but there weren't that many roads and she had a good, natural sense of direction and she wanted to get in at least five miles. Ivy was low for Colorado, not even 4,000 feet but that was 3,000 more feet than Paige was used to so she kept her pace moderate to start.

A mile and a half in she could feel her body start to adjust to the higher elevation. Her breathing became less labored and her lungs filled fuller. Her muscles started to relax and warm and she lengthened her stride as she rounded a bend on a quiet road and began a steep incline up a hill. She pushed hard to the top, breathing heavily and was rewarded with a spectacular view from above the small town. The sun was still low and glinted cheerily from between the rocky hills and tree tops. She slowed to take it all in, enjoying the clean air.

A grassy landscape appeared around the next bend and a wrought iron archway with a sign reading Hillside Cemetery heralded the entrance. Without even thinking Paige turned onto the narrow path into the cemetery. She had always found them peaceful. She jabbed at her iPod to cut the music out of respect and slow jogged along the paths, using the break to cool down a little from the climb up.

She crested a small rise among the headstones and saw the bright orange of a compact Kubota backhoe and loader sitting quiet next to a freshly dug plot. On the other side sat the mound of dirt. Paige was so fixated on it she failed to see the man crouched in front of an adjacent headstone digging up weeds.

He heard her coming first and turned, squinting up at her. He unfolded himself from the ground to a surprising height of well over six feet. Paige pulled up to a stop a few feet away and eyed him. She paused the timer on her watch and pulled the earbuds from her ears. He was young, for sure. Not even twenty, she was certain with a mop of sandy blonde hair in need of a cut and bright but cool blue eyes. Paige couldn't help but notice the six inch long, single edged knife he held, wiping the dirt off on dusty work pants before sheathing it at his waist.

"Good morning." She offered, hesitantly.

He stared at her for a moment. "What happened to your hand?" He gestured to her cast.

Paige blinked in surprised. "Um, I broke it a couple of weeks ago." She held it up and wiggled the tips of her fingers.

Again he considered her for a long moment. "Bad?"

Paige was starting to get uncomfortable. The young man was odd, to say the least, and she could not get a read on him at all. "Bad enough, I guess." She shrugged. "It's broken."

"Yeah." He nodded. He squinted at her and looked her over. "You're one of the ladies who picked up Rachel, aren't you?"

Paige was expecting some version of this question. This, after all, was what they were known for. "Um, yeah." She eyed the empty plot, it occurring to her that this was for her. She looked at the headstone the young man had been working on. _Dana Willis 1968-2014._ Rachel's mother. "Did you know her?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "We were, um, we hung out a little in school."

Paige was getting anxious to be on her way. "I'm sorry for your loss." She offered.

He shrugged. "I lost Rach a long time ago."

Paige's eyes widened in surprise. "Okay, well, it was nice meeting you…"

"Craig." He answered.

"Craig." She offered him a smile. "I'm Paige."

"You been to the quarry yet?" He asked.

Paige could not keep up with where this kid's head was at. "Um, no." she replied. "Why would I go there?" Did he think the site where a young woman was murdered was a tourist attraction.

"Good swimming." He replied. "You look like you're hot."

Paige nodded in partial understanding. "Yeah, maybe some other time."

He nodded, satisfied. "It's just down this same road another half mile or so when you're ready."

"Great." Paige wanted him to feel like he'd been helpful when he'd really just freaked her out. She put her earbuds in and restarted her watch. "Take care, Craig." She didn't wait to hear if he said anything else but turned her music back on and took off back the way she had come.

Paige hit the road again and looked down the way he told her the quarry was. Why the hell not? She took off toward it.

Right where he said it would be there was a weather battered sign marking a gravel road that identified it as the Ivy Granite Quarry. She jogged down it until she came to a fork, one branch sloping, steeply down and the other continuing level where she was. She continued on the way she was headed.

She blew out a sharp breath, relieved at her choice as she came to the edge, turning off watch and music and peered down. The water was dark and deep, filling the bottom of the quarry bordered by tiered, rock faces on three sides probably fifty feet. The fourth side, the one she stood over was cut out and had the switchback gravel road leading down to the water and a small rocky beach. There was a rocky jetty jutting out twenty yards into the middle of the water and another ten yards past that was a square floating dock anchored to the bottom somehow.

The waterline was cordoned off with yellow police tape and a patrol car was parked at the bottom. She couldn't see anyone and moved closer to the edge to get a better look.

"What are you doing here?" A harsh voice demanded from behind her.

Paige yelped in surprise, a hand going to her chest as he jumped away from the edge and saw Officer Davies glaring at her.

"I was, uh, I was just out for a run." She blurted, trying to catch her breath.

His eyes narrowed. "All the way out here?"

Paige shrugged. "I'm trying to keep a low profile and stay out of town."

His mouth quirked, humorlessly. "So, you came back to the scene of the crime."

Paige felt her temper rise. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means the Chief may not like you for this but I'm not convinced you and girlfriend didn't have something to do with what happened to Rachel." He said evenly.

"We did have something to do with it." Paige shot back. "We gave her a ride to that dump of a gas station. Why aren't you talking to whoever owns that shithole?"

He stiffened at the implication he wasn't doing his job. "We've spoken with her stepfather. He claims he didn't even know she on her way here let alone in town."

"Stepfather?" Paige cocked her head at his piece of news. "So, that's how she knew about the bike? Why she wanted to be dropped off there." She concluded.

Davies expression turned to a brief flash of panic wondering if he had said something he shouldn't have until he decided it wasn't something she could find out anywhere. "Maybe."

The image of Rachel Willis standing at the dark gas station flashed in her mind, clutching her bag to her chest. "What was in her backpack? There must have been something helpful." She didn't really expect him to answer that.

He stared at her, expressionlessly. "There was no backpack found with the body."

"What?" Paige frowned. "It's missing? So, the Chief doesn't even know about it?" Her mind kicked into overdrive. "If the killer took her belongings maybe there was something in there worth killing over?"

"Settle down." Davies said condescendingly. "Why don't you let me worry about the investigation and you just get back to keeping a low profile."

Paige shook her head. "Whatever." This guy was useless. She jabbed her music and watch back on and took off back down the gravel road.

It was more than two miles back into town and Paige was starting to feel the burn as she jogged up to the station. She had more than covered her five miles and she still had to get back to the B and B. She'd also been gone over an hour with all the stops and conversations and she imagined Emily would be starting to get worried. She'd have to make this quick.

She was off to a good start as she slammed into Chief Holbrook on his way out the door. "Chirst, McCullers!" He barked, pushing her off him and wiping his hands on his pants from where he touched her coating his hands with sweat. "You're disgusting."

She grinned. "What happened to Paige?" She mocked.

"I don't want to be that familiar with you." He snarked back.

Her smile widened. She liked him. "Fair enough." She wiped sweat from her eyes on the shoulders of her shirt. "Listen, Davies said there wasn't a backpack found with Rachel Willis' body but she definitely had one. She was clutching it to her like a life raft so something important had to have been in it." She said excitedly.

Holbrook's eyes narrowed. "When were you talking to Davies?"

"A few minutes ago." Paige gestured vaguely in the direction. "At the quarry and he told me-"

"Why were you at the quarry?" He interrupted sounding very annoyed.

"I was out for a run." Paige sighed. "Obviously. And and that's where I ended up. What difference does it make?"

He seemed to shake himself back to focus. "What did it look like?"

"The backpack?" Paige tried to remember. "Orange and gray I think. Expensive once but pretty beat up. A hiking daypack not a school backpack."

"How could you tell that?" He asked.

Paige shrugged. "Mesh water bottle pockets and padded waist straps."

"Okay." Holbrook pressed his lips together. "I'll get Davies on it."

Paige frowned. "Chief, that guy-"

"Go home and take a shower." He waved her off and headed to his car. "And stay away from the quarry."

Paige went all out the half mile back to Eleanor's. Emily stood from the table on the porch where they were having coffee. "There you are." Emily smiled. "I was beginning to worry."

Paige bent over, hands on her knees and gulped lung fulls of air as sweat dripped off the end of her nose. She raised a hand to indicate she had heard.

Emily laughed. "How was your run?"

Paige straightened, hands on her hips and breathed deeply. "Weird. Busy." She stretched out her legs. "This town is something else, Em. If I wasn't so pissed off about why we're here I might actually be having a good time." She panted a laugh. "The people here are loony."

Eleanor leaned back in her chair and eyed Paige from her spot on the porch.

Paige winced. "Sorry, Eleanor. You've been really great but, honestly, what a cast of characters."

"Busy?" Emily cocked an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

Paige trotted up the steps to the porch and swept Emily into her arms and kissed her cheek.

"Oh, yuck, Paige." Emily laughed and tried to squirm away. "Let go!" She shrieked. "I already showered."

Paige held her tight and rubbed her sweaty head against Emily's face before letting her go. "Ha!" She stepped away and peeled off her shirt, mopping her face and arms with it. "That's what you get." She laughed.

Emily frowned and wiped Paige's sweat from her face. "That's what I get for what?"

"I don't know." Paige shrugged. "Have you eaten yet? I'm starving."

"No, we were waiting for you." Emily replied. "So, hurry and get cleaned up so we can eat and I want to hear what you've been up to."

Paige slammed through the door and up the stairs. "Back in a flash." She called.

Emily sat back down with a shake of her head. Eleanor was eyeing her over her coffee mug, her eyes flashing with humor. "What are you laughing at?" Emily asked.

The woman shrugged with a smile. "You really have your hands full, don't you?"

"Gah!" Emily breathed a laugh. "You have no idea."


	13. Chapter 13

Paige picked up her water glass and drained it, followed by a large glass of orange juice before she moved on to her coffee. "God, that's good." It wasn't so hot that she couldn't drink it down in several swallows.

Eleanor got up and refilled all her beverages looking very much like she was trying not to laugh. Emily watched, one hand over her mouth, horrified, as Paige attacked her plate like she hadn't seen food in days.

Paige chewed an enormous mouthful of sausage and eggs and looked up to see Emily and Eleanor watching her. She grimaced and and swallowed, drinking more water to get it down. "I'm being rude aren't I?" She asked sheepishly.

"Yes." Emily agreed immediately and unfolded her napkin for her setting it on her lap. "You'd think you were raised by wolves. Slow down before you make yourself sick. We're not going anywhere." She admonished good naturedly. "Good thing your mother isn't here."

"Sorry." She offered the older woman a smile. "It's just so good and I get really hungry after I work out."

"I'm glad you like it." Eleanor laughed. "I wish all my guests were as appreciative."

Paige offered Emily an apologetic smile. "So, I ran up to the cemetery on the hill and I met this kid who I think may have been Rachel Willis' boyfriend or something."

Eleanor nodded knowingly. "Craig Simpson. He's the caretaker."

"Yeah, Craig." Paige agreed. "Is he strange or was it just me?"

"No, he's always been a little odd." Eleanor considered. "What was even odder, if you ask me, which, I suppose, you are, was that relationship."

"How so?" Emily had finished eating and sat back in the chair with her coffee.

"Well, it never seemed like a good match but Rachel and Craig spent a lot of time together growing up but they always just seemed like buddies." Eleanor explained.

"Just the two of them?" Paige asked talking with her mouthful again.

"No." Eleanor said, dramatically. "There was Rachel's best friend, Danica Long." Her voice dropped at the mentioned name.

Paige looked up from her plate. "Why do you say it like that?"

"That girl." The woman shook her and blew out a breath. "She's like the Regina George of Ivy."

Paige choked on her coffee, spluttering a laugh. "You know _Mean Girls_?"

"Honey." The woman frowned. "It's a small town not another planet. And I have kids of my own. Twin girls about your age. They're off in Denver getting overeducated." She waved away Paige's laughter. "And anyway that girl is as mean as they come. I'm talking straight up sociopath. Pity the young women who had to walk the halls with that monster. And, by the way, she's not grown out of it in the least."

"Charming." Emily muttered and refilled all their mugs with coffee. "That was Rachels bestie?"

"Well, Danica had her moments and could be as sweet as the next girl. She couldn't be awful to everyone or she wouldn't have any groupies. So, she had Rachel and Craig." Eleanor barked a humorless laugh. "And, for a time, Ryan Davies."

Paige's jaw dropped. "Officer Davies?"

Eleanor nodded. "That boy graduated a few years ahead but he was the guy that hung around the high school parking lot at 3pm all leaning against his car and looking cool for the senior girls. You know the guy I'm talking about?"

Emily and Paige both grinned. They knew that guy.

"Anyway, he would have done anything for her and I do mean anything." Eleanor stated. "Fortunately, for all of us, she got tired of stringing him along and he came to his senses."

"So, she's still around?" Paige asked, scraping the last of her food onto her fork.

"Yes." Eleanor's lips pressed together in a thin line. "And if that's not bad enough her mother is the town councilwoman. It's not much of a title, I know, but in a place this size it carries weight with decision making power."

Paige frowned. "I know I only met Rachel for like two seconds but she didn't really strike me as that type. She seemed, I don't know, serious and thoughtful but definitely not unkind."

"Well, that sounds right." Eleanor agreed. "And I haven't told you the rest of the story." She, too, sat back in her chair and cradled her mug. "All this was early high school. By junior year Rachel had started appreciating Danica for the vicious idiot she was and started trying to get out from under her and explore her other interests."

"What other interests?" Paige asked.

Eleanor shrugged. "Her developing awareness of her homosexuality, for one."

It was Emily's turn to choke on her coffee, coughing violently as she aspirated some. Paige thumped her on the back a few times. "Good, thanks." She croaked.

"How do you know all this?" Paige asked, wide eyed.

"Well." Eleanor laughed. "I was a teacher for a lot of years and I have a lot of friends. I also, suffer from that good listener side effect where people just tell you stuff whether you want to know it or not. And, this town is so small, and I'm not even joking when I say this, you can't even roll your window down at the stop light in town without hearing a piece of gossip come wafting into your car on the breeze."

"Was this common knowledge?" Paige asked. "About Rachel, I mean?"

Eleanor waffled for a moment. "Yes and no." She replied finally. "She wasn't out, exactly, but people knew. She had a young lady friend. They were discrete but people knew. It was kind of a don't ask don't tell situation."

Paige made an unpleasant sound. "It's the 21st century." She barked. "She shouldn't have had to hide." She was starting to get the feeling they were leading up to why the girl was so haunted.

"I agree completely." Eleanor nodded. "As would 90% of the town's population." She pressed her lips together into a thin line. "The problem was the other 10% included her stepfather and so-called best friend."

Emily winced. "That's tough."

"That's the idiot who owns the gas station, right?" Paige asked. "I ran into Davies after the cemetery and he mentioned him."

"Russell Reardon." Eleanor gritted her teeth. "And raging homophobia is the least of that soulless bastard's character flaws. He's an abusive, bigoted monster and, I'll not apologize for saying this out loud, I can't believe someone hasn't killed him yet."

"Wow." Paige's eyes widened at the woman's venom. "Don't sugar coat it, Ma'am."

Eleanor blinked a couple of times and snapped out of her rage. "I cared a great deal about Dana Willis, Rachel's mama and Rachel and what that man did to them was unconscionable. Coming between them. Turning Rachel's mama against her when that girl needed someone the most. Abusing Dana and keeping her under his thumb all because she thought she needed a man and he had her so twisted up she thought no one could ever love her. Disgusting."

"What happened?" Paige asked riveted. "Was it about her being gay? Is that why she left town?"

Eleanor nodded, gravely. "She cared for a young woman named Lilly Grant and, oddly enough, she had Danica Long to thank for bringing them together. Lilly was a sweet little thing. Smart, pretty and shy and Danica hated her. Singled her out and made making her miserable her life's work. She was merciless in her tormenting of that child. That was what first opened Rachel's eyes to the person Danica really was. I don't know the exact circumstances of how they got together but I know Rachel began distancing herself from Danica and started protecting Lilly. I was so proud of her."

"Why did you say _was_?" Emily asked. "When describing Lilly you said she _was _all those things. Did something happen to her."

"Yes, something happened to her." Eleanor said sadly. "She nearly drowned out at the quarry the summer after graduation and suffered hypoxic something or other."

"Hypoxic ischemic injury." Emily said. "How severe?"

"I haven't seen her." Eleanor said. "But from what I understand she can't speak or walk. She has some motor control, she can eat with help and she's not vegetative but she needs round the clock care."

"Shit." Paige breathed. "That fucking sucks."

"Yes." The older woman agreed, not even blinking at Paige's language.

"Where is she?" Paige asked.

"Here, actually." Eleanor replied. "It's a private assisted living facility. It's intended for the elderly but they had space and she needs the same kind of care as one with alzheimer's or dementia and they agreed to take her." She sighed. "Good, I guess, that she didn't need to be sent away from home or her family didn't have to move."

Paige frowned. "I don't mean to sound insensitive but how is her family affording something like that? I mean she could live like that for decades."

"Julia Long, Danica's mother and town councilwoman is paying for it." Eleanor replied. "Probably with funds she's embezzling from somewhere else but no one would even bother to look into it too closely. That girl is getting the care she needs."

"Is that strange?" Paige asked. "Why would she do that?"

The woman shrugged. "The quarry has been a problem forever. It's always been a popular hangout and kids are always getting hurt. Three or four a year with broken bones from cliff jumping and such. No one had died and Lilly's accident was the most severe. The town had tried in the past to prohibit it, putting up fences, arresting trespassers but it only made going there more attractive. I imagine councilwoman Long as the voice of the town feels responsible on many levels. That's my theory anyway." She finished.

Paige and Emily were silent for a long time. The story just kept getting more and more tragic.

"Is that why Rachel left town?" Paige finally asked.

Eleanor sighed deeply. "It was the beginning of why she left town." She answered cryptically. "Rachel was there the day of the accident. Craig and Danica, too. After it happened it was pretty clear Rachel's feelings for Lilly went far beyond just friendship and Danica made sure the whole town knew, especially Rachel's stepfather."

"Jesus Christ." Paige breathed, her blood heating in anger at what that girl had been through.

"Needless to say there was a domestic disturbance at the Willis house after that. The police were involved but Dana refused to press charges. Rachel tried like hell to get her mother to leave with her but, and maybe this was the very worst thing that could have happened, Dana chose to stay with Russ. Rachel took off and the two of them never saw each other alive again."

Emily steepled her heads in front of her face, her eyes shining with emotion. "I'm so sorry." She said to no one in particular.

"Yes." Eleanor said softly. "I suppose if there's good news to be found in all of this it's that Rachel's leaving finally snapped Dana out of her daze and she left Russ's stupid ass. Shortly after that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Already late stage. She had a couple surgeries and some chemo but there was really no chance for her. It was Ryan Davies who finally tracked Rachel down and got word to her. I don't know where she was but she was on her way back and, well, you know the rest."

Paige got very quiet and still as Emily looked to her. She could see the muscles in her jaw and neck tense as she clenched and unclenched her jaw. She drummed her fingers on the table. Emily placed her hand gently on her leg. "Paige?"

Paige shook her head slowly. "Forgive me for saying so, Eleanor, but I could burn this town to ashes right now for what's been done to that girl." She said tightly.

"Don't even worry about that, honey." Eleanor smiled gently. "There aren't many people who haven't felt the same way at one time or another, including me. But we go on doing the best we can and I know Gabe Holbrook. He's a good man and he'll get justice for Rachel, make no mistake."

Paige nodded and stared out over the property, her heart as heavy as she'd ever known. "I hope they're looking at her stepfather." She mused. "Stabbing someone to death sure sounds like it's in his wheelhouse."

Emily watched Paige with concern. Rachel's story was tragic and she, too was, deeply sad to hear about the horror, heartache and disappointment she had endured in such a short life. And then to have it all end like it did was unimaginable.

Paige, though, seemed to be taking it personally and Emily was sure it was all still connected to her own unresolved feelings of being bullied, of being made to feel worthless. Paige was amazing and Emily knew Paige knew that but, somehow, it was getting lost in everything that was going on. She was angry, frustrated and feeling helpless. Emily would remind her, every chance she got how truly strong and remarkable she was.

Eleanor, too, must have sensed they needed to move on from this conversation. "So, ladies, I know I told you you were guests and all but how would you feel about being pressed into service?"

Emily's eyes brightened with gratitude and she smiled her thanks at the woman. "What did you have in mind?" Emily looked over at Paige who hadn't replied but she knew she was listening.

"Well, you may not believe this, but my little quaint bed and breakfast has somehow, over the last few years, become a popular corporate retreat destination." Eleanor began.,

This caught Paige's attention. "Really? That's weird."

"I agree." Eleanor laughed. "And it certainly wasn't what I had intended but it happened and it pays the bills for sure." She waved her hands. "Anyway, I have three back to back corporate events in a couple of weeks all coming out of Denver. They like the solitude and small town ambiance without the distractions of tourist events and locations. The biggest attraction here is the fire pit out back. It ends up being the focal point for team building exercises and relaxing at the end of the day." She eyed Paige whose smirk was about ready to split her face open. "Stop laughing, Paige." She scolded. "They pay a small fortune for the whole place and they're often quite entertaining. In fact…" Her eyes twinkled. "...you may want to stick around."

"Sounds delightful." Paige joked. "But organized bonding isn't really my thing."

"Mm hmm." Eleanor replied. "To make a short story long. I have a young man who helps me get set up but, it so happens, he is the latest quarry casualty and broke his leg last week. I have two cords of wood that need moving and stacking over by the shed out back." She eyed them both. "Care to give me a hand?"

Emily grinned and punched Paige in she shoulder. Nothing like a little physical labor to take your mind off your troubles. "We'd love to."

Paige frowned and rubbed her arm. "Sure." She grumbled. "Why the hell not."


	14. Chapter 14

"Holy Shit!" Paige grumbled as Emily emptied the wheelbarrow at her feet for the millionth time and she continued stacking the wood. "How much is a cord of wood exactly?" She bellowed across the lawn as sweat trickled down her back and sides and her shoulders and back ached from all the bending.

They had settled into a reasonable rhythm. Eleanor stood at the enormous pile in the drive and loaded the wheelbarrow, Emily wheeled the load to Paige near the shed and emptied it and Paige stacked it while she went back for more. They had been at it for hours and they were almost done. Emily was looking pretty ragged, too, and probably had the toughest job wrestling the loads over the uneven ground though she never complained once.

"Four feet by four feet by eight feet long." Emily answered a little breathlessly as she maneuvered the wheelbarrow across again. "Or 128 cubic feet-Damnit!" She hissed and dropped the handles, sucking at the heel of her right hand.

Paige whipped around. "Em?" She dropped the logs in her hand. "Are you alright?"

Emily looked at her palm. "It's nothing." She frowned.

"Are you sure?" Eleanor called. "Not a widow bite, right?"

Emily shook her head with a laugh. "No, just a sliver."

"A what bite?" Paige's eyes went wide. "A widow? As in a black widow?" She stepped away from the wood pile and brushed at her clothes, imagining there were spiders on her. "Holy shit, are you kidding?"

Emily picked up the handles and finished her route, setting the load down and stacking it herself when it appeared Paige wasn't going to. "Did I just learn something new about you?" She fought a smile. "Are you afraid of spiders?"

"I'm not sure I'd say _afraid_." Paige's face reddened. "And who wouldn't be concerned about venomous arachnids?" She continued to eye the woodpile.

"You're such a nerd." Emily smiled now. " And what would you say?" She teased.

Paige frowned. She hated spiders. "Can we be done?" She called to Eleanor.

Eleanor laughed as she came to join them pulling off her gloves and wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "Yes, honey, we can be done. I have some other things to do today."

Emily was picking at the heel of her right hand with a fingernail.

Eleanor dug in her pocket. "That looks pretty deep, Emily." She handed her a folding knife. "Try this."

Emily took the knife, considering it. "I don't think I can use it with my left."

Paige took the knife from her. "I got it." She smirked. "I'm getting pretty good with my left."

Emily blushed "Not without alcohol or heating it first." She said to cover her embarrassment.

"There's a grill lighter over by the fire pit." Eleanor moved off toward the house. "I'll get you some alcohol and a bandage." She called over her shoulder.

Paige grabbed the lighter. "Come on." She pulled Emily over into the shade of a large tree and sank down into the grass, crossing her legs. Emily sat across from her, their knees touching. Paige reached for her hand and pulled it into her lap. "Ouch." She ran her finger across the heel of her hand over the thin, dark line under the skin, an inch long and deep. There was a small break in the skin where it went in. "How did you manage this?"

Emily shrugged. "From the handle of the wheelbarrow, I guess."

Paige explored her blade options on the knife, settling on the smallest and sharpest. She prised a small tweezers from the end as well. She held them both in the flame of the lighter for a few seconds.

She gripped Emily's hand in her right and pressed into her skin with the tip of the blade, working to widen the sliver's entry point. "Is that okay?" She she asked without looking up.

"It's fine." Emily's mouth quirked. "You've got a pretty good bedside manner, you know."

"Hmmm." Paige frowned. "This is deep, Em." Paige squinted at her hand and tilted it into the light. "I may have to cut you."

"I trust you, Paige." Emily replied softly.

Paige picked her head up at that, smiling at the sparkle in Emily's eyes. "You say that now." She bent her head again, incising, quickly into Emily's skin. "Sorry." She replied to her surprised hiss of pain and held Emily's hand tight as she tried to jerk it away. "Hold on." Paige gripped the tweezers and grasped the offending wood, sliding it out smoothly. "Got it!" She said triumphantly and held it up for Emily to see.

Emily sucked at her hand and nodded, suitably impressed. "You do good work."

Paige flung the wood away and closed the knife up. "Some say the best." She grinned.

Emily rolled her eyes at her favorite boast and was saved from having to comment when Eleanor returned. "How did it go?" She asked, a canvas grocery bag over one arm and blanket tucked in the other.

"She's going to live." Paige jumped up to take the bag from her. "What's all this?" She asked peering into the bag.

"Lunch for you to say thank you." She spread the blanket out on the grass in the shade. "I'll let you two sort it out. I have to run into town." She headed for her car.

"Ooooh, chicken salad." Paige began unpacking the bag. "And rolls, fruit, cheese, pickles…" She dug down to the bottom of the bag and pulled out a jug. "...Lemonade!" She said excitedly and popped the lid, drinking directly from the container.

"There are cups, Paige." Emily tossed them over.

"I know." Paige wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I just like annoying you."

Paige pointed up as white billowing clouds drifted by against the bright blue sky as she relaxed on her back on the blanket. She was comfortably full of Eleanor's good food and Emily's head lay pillowed on her abdomen as, she too, watched the clouds laze by while Paige ran her fingers through her hair. "That one looks like a rabbit."

"Where?" Emily tried to follow where Paige was indicating.

"There." Paige tilted Emily's head up a little. "See the ears and two front feet?"

"Yeah." Emily shook her head. "I don't see it."

Paige huffed a breath. "You have no imagination."

"What?" Emily craned her neck to look up at her. "I resent that. If I had no imagination I wouldn't be able to see that….hmmm…." She scanned the the sky, her arm snapping up. "There! That 's totally a fetus."

Paige laughed, jostling Emily's head. "A fetus?"

"It's clear as day!" Emily laughed with her and pointed out its features. "Two arms, legs, head tucked down. I mean it has to be at least 22 to 25 weeks."

"Oh, yeah?" Paige joked. "You should be able to tell the sex, then."

"Hmmm." Emily pretended to consider. "Don't you want it to be a surprise?" She rolled over, propping herself up on Paige's chest so she could see her, her eyes dancing with amusement and curiosity.

"Nope." Paige shook her head. "It totally want to know."

"Really? Why?" Emily looked at her expectantly. She didn't have a strong feeling about it one way or another and this was all hypothetical, right?

"I don't know." Paige shrugged. "Maybe I don't like surprises."

Emily frowned trying to think of a time she had surprised Paige with something. She couldn't. "Is that true?"

"Yeah." Paige shrugged again. "I mean, little things are okay like you don't have to tell me what you're getting me for my birthday or anything but definitely no surprise parties."

"Huh." Emily considered this new piece of information. "Why do you think that is?"

Paige sighed and stared up at the sky, moving her arms to cross them behind her head. "It's a control thing, I guess." She watched the clouds drift by for another moment. "I feel like it makes me sound a little, um, like a crazy person and I don't know how to explain it well." She shifted a little to scoot back against the tree and sit up so she could see Emily. "Do you believe we are all a little OCD to a certain degree?"

"Sure, I guess." Emily propped herself on her elbow but remained stretched out next to Paige. "There are certain things I'm pretty meticulous about and I definitely have my routines."

"Right." Paige agreed. "Like that. My money has to be in order in my wallet by denomination and facing the same way. And, if for whatever reason, yours is not and I get a hold of your pocketbook I will order it for you because that's how important it is to me."

"Okay." Emily smiled. "Have at it."

"I like to sit with by back to the wall in a restaurant or in the cafeteria if I can because I don't like the idea that people can see me and I can't see them." Paige winced as soon as the words came out of her mouth.

"Mmm." Emily smiled. "That does sound a little tinfoil hat time."

"Yeah, see, I probably shouldn't be saying anything." Paige muttered.

"Because you think I'd never find out?" Emily grinned. "What else?"

Paige considered for a moment. "I don't backtrack in the grocery store. I go up and down every aisle but if I miss something it waits for the next time I'm at the store."

"That's harsh." Emily replied. "What did the ranch dressing ever do to you?"

"I call it economy of motion. I can't stand going backwards and when I run errands I'll always plan a route in my head so that I never have to retrace my steps, within reason, of course. Unless it's cheese." Paige laughed. "I'll always go back for cheese."

"That's fair." Emily laughed with her. "What does all this have to do with surprises?"

"I have no idea." Paige sighed. "But I feel like it's related. I just want to have as much information as I can up front and I get twitchy when there's something I don't know."

"Paige, there's always going to be something you don't know." Emily countered.

"I didn't say it made sense." Paige replied.

Emily studied her. "Is that why you're having such a hard time with all of this?" She asked cautiously. "Too many things you don't know? You feel out of control?"

"Doesn't it bother you?" Paige asked.

Yes, of course." Emily smiled. "But there's nothing we can do about it so I'm trying not to let it get to me."

Paige shook her head. "I don't know how you do it."

"Well, it's been obvious from the beginning that you are really affected by everything that's happened and I feel like I have to...to be…" Emily trailed off suddenly concerned what she was about to say would really hurt Paige's feelings.

Paige frowned in confusion before her eyes widened in understanding. "What?" She asked. "Keep me in line? Be the voice of reason?"

"How about, in this case, your even keel?" Emily didn't see any point in denying it. "Helping to keep you balanced. Are you angry?"

"No." Paige looked surprised. "Why would I be angry that you're looking out for me?" She pulled Emily toward her and brushed a soft kiss across her lips. "And I can guarantee there will come a time when our roles are reversed and you're the total hot mess." She pulled away and smiled. "So, I showed you mine, or some of it anyway, what's one of your quirks I don't know about?"

"Hmmm." Emily raised her eyebrows in thought and settled back down on Paige's chest. "Oh, I know." She grinned. "I'm kind of a hoarder."

"You are not." Paige frowned. "I've seen your place."

Emily shook her head. "I don't have my stuff remember?" Her eyes were laughing. "I have this thing, especially in the kitchen, where I save containers if I think there's some possible use I'll find for them later. Like cool whip, sour cream, yogurt or cottage cheese containers. I have tons of them all stacked up in case, I don't even know what, Y2K or the zombie apocalypse or something."

"Or if you just start preparing and freezing food?" Paige suggested, laughing.

"Or that." Emily agreed. "Oh, and I totally ghost from parties. Not that I party much these days but it totally drove people nuts in college."

"I have no idea what that means." Paige frowned.

Emily laughed. "I leave without saying goodbye to anyone. I'm there one minute then gone the next." She waved her hand in the air.

"You?" Paige laughed. "How rude."

* * *

Emily hopped down the porch when Eleanor's car pulled back in some time later. She and Paige had fallen asleep under the tree for over an hour. They had finally managed to muster themselves and clean up after their picnic before finishing the woodpile.

Emily had showered and changed and Paige was now on her second shower of the day. She grabbed up an armload of grocery bags from the trunk. "Let me help you these"

"Thank you, honey." Eleanor huffed up the front porch and into the kitchen with her own pile of bags. "I'm having some friends over tonight for dinner and drinks and I'm way behind." She Emily over her shoulder. "You and Paige are more than welcome to join us."

"Thank you, that's very kind." Emily set the bags on the large kitchen island and began unpacking them. "But actually I was hoping you could recommend a place for us to go out that's not too far away but not in town, if you know what I mean. I'd like to take Paige out to dinner. She's been feeling pretty cooped up."

"I understand." Eleanor nodded and tore off a page from the memo pad by the phone, jotting something down. "Head west out of town on 50. In a half hour to forty minutes you'll be in Lamar. Go here." She handed Emily the paper.

Emily looked at it and couldn't help a laugh. "Really?"

"Really." Eleanor nodded.


	15. Chapter 15

"Paige, let's go." Emily called up the stairs. "I'm hungry and we have a bit if a drive."

Paige bounded down the stairs from their room, giving Emily a quick peck on the lips on the way by as she jogged out the front door to the car. "Well, come on then, what are you waiting for?" She yelled over the rumble of the engine as she started the car.

Emily rolled her eyes. "See you later Eleanor." She yelled into the kitchen.

"Have a good time, honey." Came the reply.

Emily plugged the address into the gps as they headed into town on their way out. The only light in town was red for them and Paige rumbled to a stop in the center of town. From where they sat she could see the grocery store, drug store, theater, hardware store, bar and diner and in the rear view the police station and post office. And everyone could see them.

Paige drummed on the steering wheel and let out an impatient breath as she watched a handful of people stagger out of the bar, swearing, shoving each other and laughing about where they were going to go next. There were three scraggly faced young men floating mesh trucker caps and band t-shirts and one scandalously clad young woman who Paige recognized immediately. Eleanor never described her but by the tilt of her chin, the ice in her eyes, the perk of her breasts and the cruelty of her mouth Paige knew, without a doubt, she was looking at Danica Long.

Her hair was a cliche shade of bottle blonde, her shorts too short and her top too tight. She was a walking stereotype and Paige couldn't help but stare. There was no moss growing on Danica Long's instincts and she turned, meeting Paige's eyes for the briefest of moments before the light turned green and Paige stomped on the gas, roaring away.

Emily was pushed back into her seat for a moment. "What's the matter?"

Paige shook her head, rattled. "Nothing." She lied and sped out of town.

Paige tensed, her eyes flicking to the gas station owned by Russell Reardon as they drove by but she saw no one. As she slowed to turn right onto the main road west to Lamar she caught sight of a car take shape in the mirror behind them. Not a car, a truck, dark blue extended cab with light bar across the cab and jacked up wheels. She frowned at it for a moment then dismissed them. "So where are we headed?"

"To Lamar for dinner." Emily smiled. "I thought we should get out but I didn't want to stay in town."

"You mean you didn't want to eat at the Chuck Wagon Diner?" Paige snarked about the place in Ivy. "Seriously, I think we could walk in and we'd hear the record player scratch to a stop and then crickets as everyone turned to stare. That would be so fun."

"I believe it's called the Covered Wagon Diner." Emily laughed shifting in her seat so she could lay her hand on the back of Paige's neck, squeezing gently. "And no I did not." She grinned. "You'll like this place better."

Paige cocked an eyebrow at her. "A surprise?"

"Just a little one." Emily confessed.

They didn't really need the directions as it was a straight shot from Ivy to Lamar. Paige slowed to a stop as they came into town, her eyes flicking again to the mirror to see the same blue truck pull up right behind them very close. She frowned and turned around craning her neck to get a look at the cab. It was too high for her to see who was in it. "Idiots." She mumbled.

"What's wrong?" Emily looked in her side view mirror.

"I don't know." Paige shook her head and drove through. "Just this stupid redneck mobile that followed us out of Ivy."

"Followed us?" Emily turned around in her seat but she couldn't get a look at them either.

"Well, I saw them when we left and I'm seeing them again now." Paige amended.

"So, you mean there was another car on the _only_ road going the same direction we are?" She placed a hand on Paige's leg and squeezed, comfortingly. "Imagine that." She smiled, teasingly to let Paige know she was worrying about nothing.

"Yeah, I guess." Paige muttered. She wasn't so convinced it was nothing but couldn't explain why.

"Turn in here." Emily said excitedly, pointing to a large lot on the right.

Paige did as she was told, watching with relief as the blue truck rumbled past and out of sight. She looked up through the windshield at the large sign illustrated with a pair of cowboy boots. "The Cow Palace Inn?" She cracked up. "You sure know how to show a girl a good time."

"It gets better." Emily laughed with her. "We can either eat at the Corral Grill or the Branding Iron Saloon."

Paige drove through the lot and parked at the back, out of the way of the other cars to try and avoid parking lot dings to her new car. She would never be the asshole who took up two spaces, though. "Oh, the saloon, definitely."

Paige pushed through the swinging saloon doors and she and Emily both tried to whistle _The Good, the Bad and the Ugly _theme at the same time resulting in a fit of hysterical laughter.

When Paige pulled herself together she was pleasantly surprised at the look of the place. Hardwood floors with polished wood tables and leather accented wood chairs and booths. There was a large horseshoe shaped bar with modern overhead lighting that brought to mind wagon wheels but weren't really. The place was fun and had a good energy about it.

There was a good mix of customers, young and old and, in the back, there were even a couple of pool tables. Maybe she could talk Emily into a game or two later. "This is cool." Paige admitted as they selected a booth along the side wall, Paige sitting so she could see the front door, Emily facing toward the pool tables. The server came and dropped off menus and left with their drink order.

"Good." Emily was relieved Paige approved and perused her menu. "I was a little worried it might be too cheesy."

"Too cheesy?" Paige scoffed. "For me? I doubt such a thing exists."

The waitress returned with their drinks, beer for Paige and wine for Emily, and took their dinner order. Paige had had her fill of chicken and vegetables for lunch and was not opposed to steak and baked potatoe now.

She relaxed back into the booth with her beer, feeling a contentment rare since they had picked up Rachel Willis hitchhiking only a few nights ago. Emily was going above and beyond in being attentive to her and Paige, at that moment, vowed to herself to make an effort the be less volatile. It was not Emily's job to manage her erratic temper.

The very next moment Paige froze, her glass halfway to her mouth, when raised voices and laughter at the door drew her attention. The large bouncer shifted to the side and Paige could clearly see the group from the street in Ivy lead by the woman she was certain was Danica Long.

"You're all out of here if there's any trouble." The bouncer's deep voice rumbled as the three men and woman pushed past him and moved through the bar to the back taking them right past Paige and Emily's table.

Paige tensed, sensing trouble as the young woman's eyes flicked to her, then Emily as they walked by, a hint of a smile at her mouth. The young men were less discrete, turning back to ogle Emily openly with crude, carelessly whispered comments. Paige gritted her teeth in anger.

"Paige, it's fine." Emily sighed and smiled softly to show she was unfazed though she was tremendously disappointed that this was going to color their night. She wasn't willing to show it and give Paige one more thing to be angry about. "It's nothing to brag about but I've heard it all before." She followed the group with her eyes as they settled around a table back in the pool room.

"That's not it." Paige said tightly and shook her head. "Do you _know_ who that _is_?"

"How would I?" Emily frowned in confusion. "How do you?"

"I saw those kids outside the bar in Ivy and guarantee they're the ones in the truck behind us." Paige took a long drink of her beer to try and steady her nerves though alcohol was probably the last thing she needed. "And I'd bet my car that the woman is Danica Long."

Emily looked back at them again. The woman stood, leaning on a pool cue as one man racked the balls and the other two made their way back from the bar with pitchers of beer and glasses for them all. Emily nodded slowly. She could see it, too. The way she commanded the very air around her. This girl had power and knew how to use it.

Emily was about to ask Paige if she wanted to leave and thought better of it. Paige would be insulted and she knew she wouldn't let herself be intimidated by a girl barely out of high school. "They're not actually old enough to be drinking." Emily commented loudly enough for the server to overhear as she returned to their table with their orders. She obviously knew who Emily was speaking about and had the decency to blush but didn't otherwise indicate she had heard or was going to do anything about it.

Paige snorted into her drink. "I get the impression that girl does not expect to play by the same set of rules as the rest of the world."

"Hmm." Emily chewed her food thoughtfully. "People must know who she is and that she's not of age."

"Of that I have no doubt but I don't suspect that matters much either. " Paige cut into her steak. "Let's talk about something else."

Emily watched them again for a moment, glad Paige couldn't see them as they were very obviously looking over at their table and, Emily was certain, having a conversation she was thankful she couldn't overhear. "Are we still heading to Colorado Springs after this?" She smiled widely and pushed them out of her mind.

The bar filled and Emily's line of sight to the back long since blocked. They had done such a good job of turning their attentions to each other and their trip they were both startled when a heavy pint glass slammed down on their table, sloshing beer over the side.

"Which one of you queers is Paige McConn...McCullen?" Danica Long slurred at them.

Paige's jaw dropped, comically, and she looked from the woman to Emily who, for her part, looked as shocked as she felt. The only thing she could think to do was answer her. "I'm Paige _McCullers._" She made a show of wiping up the spilled beer on the table with her napkin. "Is there something I can do for you?"

The woman sneered at her. "You wish."

Paige blinked at her for a moment before she eyed the woman up and down, coolly. "Yeah, no." She shook her head. "I'm good." Paige knew from mean girls and she was not going to let this little bitch get to her.

The woman's face twisted in anger at the slight. "And you, what's your excuse?" She turned to Emily and eyed her dramatically. "You could have any man in this place." She raised her voice and swept an arm theatrically around the room. Her behavior was starting to draw the attention of nearby tables. "Hell, you could have _every_ man in this place." She cackled with laughter.

Emily stiffened at the insult. The implication that she was with a woman because she couldn't find a man was offensive in the extreme but she doubted very much that his woman would be able to wrap her head around that and she certainly wasn't going to be the one to try and explain it to her. She could see Paige's rage building across from her and decided to take the high road. "Thank you." She smiled. "I'm not interested right now."

The woman's eyes narrowed at Emily before looking to Paige then back to Emily again as if working something out in her head. "Butchy McButcherson here does it for you, huh?" She cackled again at her own joke.

Paige stood awkwardly in the booth, one knee on the seat to balance. "I think it's time for you to go." She growled. Over the woman's shoulder she could see the door man working his way over to their table along with their server.

"Paige, sit down." Emily warned. She was furious and Paige was only trying to protect her but taking her bait would only escalate the situation

The woman ignored her. "And Rachel?" She shouted. "Which one your heads did she turn?" She looked between them again with a sneer. "Or did you both have at her?"

"Hey!" Paige snapped, her blood boiling.

The bouncer made it to their table. "I warned you Dani." He barked and gripped her by the arm, spinning her from the table. " Get your boys and get out." He commanded.

"Take it easy, Bruce." She whined, twisting her arm in his grip. "That hurts." She looked at him mournfully.

His eyes widened in surprise, falling for it and he let her go.

She flashed a wicked smile before whirling back to the table, grabbing her beer and throwing it in Paige's face before anyone knew what happened. "That's for Rachel!" She shrieked before the big bouncer got his hands on her again and dragged her toward the door bellowing in anger.

Witnesses gasped in alarm and the volume in the bar rose instantly at the commotion.

Paige gasped in a breath, blinking alcohol from her eyes, and spluttered her shock as beer dripped off her face and hair, plastering her shirt to her chest.

Emily sucked in a breath, covering her mouth with her hands. "Paige." She breathed, her throat tightening at the sight of how angry, shocked and hurt she looked.

Their server was there in a flash, knowing better than to approach Paige and handing Emily a towel from the bar. "I'm so sorry." She stammered. "I'm so sorry." Her hands fluttered around uncontrollably as she used another towel to mop beer off their table.

They had still been eating but they certainly weren't going to be staying and, anyway, their food was ruined. "I'll bring you some fresh plates." She looked terrified and kept looking over her shoulder either expecting more trouble or looking for help.

"That won't be necessary." Emily said, more calmly than she felt, handing the towel to Paige and keeping a close eyed on her as she mopped her face and arms. She had no idea what she was going to do but she wanted to get them out of there as quickly as possible. "The check will be fine."

The woman's head jerked to Emily's in surprise. "Um." She breathed a laugh. "I'm pretty sure you're dinner is on the house."

Emily wasn't going to argue. "I appreciate that." She gathered her purse and slid out of the booth.

"Um" The server began again. "If you want to stay I can get you a drink?" Her eyes flicked from Paige to Emily. Paige was remaining unnervingly silent as she continued to clean herself up.

"No, thank you." Emily left a twenty on the table and reached for Paige.

Paige hadn't yet met her eyes and moved away from her reach as she climbed out of the booth. "Let's go." She mumbled.


	16. Chapter 16

The crowd parted for them as they made their way from the booth to the front door, the looks of the other patrons a mix of sympathy, horror, humor and disbelief.

Paige banged out the front door and took several steps toward the parking lot, ignoring curious looks from people just heading in, before placing her hands on her hips and leaning back to take in a few dramatic, slow. deep breaths and exhaling loudly. "What. The. Fuck." She breathed slowly.

Emily squinted her eyes tight together as she watched Paige, praying for guidance in knowing the right thing to do. In the end she could only trust her heart and all she wanted to do was hold her and tell her she loved her.

She placed a gentle hand on Paige's shoulder. "Paige-"

"Get the passenger side!"

"Jesus, I really had to piss!"

"Butch ass car!"

Paige spun away from Emily toward the loud, drunk voices, punctuated with an all too familiar cackle of laughter. She raced through the parking lot to the back where she'd parked the charger to see all three men standing around her car zipping up, the side panels, hood and doors of her car dripping with piss, the acrid smell cutting through the warm air.

She skidded to a stop, Emily racing up next to her. "You, motherfuckers." Paige breathed, barely audibly as her eyes drilled into the nearest man. She made a move toward him, an inhuman sound of fury tearing from her throat, and Emily wrapped an arm around her waist from behind to hold her.

A deep horn blared close by. "Let's go, bitches!" Danica Long leaned on the horn of the pick up and the three men raced off, hooting and hollering in triumph as they climbed into the cab before the truck roared out of the lot.

Emily held Paige tightly, wrapping her other arm across Paige's chest as she came completely undone, shaking and screaming, her rage building and erupting from a place deep within her. Partly the last few days and partly the young tormented girl from school.

"Shhhh, shhhhh. It's okay." Emily crooned in her ear as she struggled to hold her. "It's going to be okay."

Paige's breathing was ragged and hot tears streamed down her face, her head pounding and her chest tight with pain. "I don't know…I don't...understand…." She sobbed. "Why is this...happening?"

Emily guided Paige around to the passenger side, expecting any moment Paige's legs were going to give out on her, she was so shattered. Emily opened the door, not caring about the warm, wetness on the handle and pushed Paige into the seat. She wiped her hand on her jeans and went around to get behind the wheel.

The ride back was fast and eternal and deathly quiet. Emily was tense and worried, daring to look at Paige every few minutes only to find her unmoved, staring blankly through the windshield, her tears as long since dry on her face as the beer in her hair, the heat of her rage simmering near the surface.

Emily didn't know this Paige. She doubted Paige knew this Paige. How could anyone know what they were going to do in the face of such ugliness? She didn't know what to do or what to say. She just wanted to get Paige somewhere safe and, for the first time, she wished this trip had never happened.

Emily slowed up to the bed and breakfast as two cars were pulling out. Eleanor was standing on the front porch waving to her friends as Emily pulled in and parked.

"I'm sorry you missed everyone." Eleanor called to her, the smile of her cheerful greeting faltering as she saw the tension in Emily's face as she stepped from the car. "Did something happen?"

Paige climbed slowly from the car, her hair lank and knotted, her shirt crusty and reeking of beer. "Met Danica Long tonight." She turned, kicking her car door closed, unwilling to touch it. "She's delightful."

Eleanor's face hardened. She didn't need to know the details to appreciate what had happened. "I'm so sorry, Paige."

Paige pressed her lips together in a thin line, her eyes glittering anew with tears. "If you don't mind I'm going to raid your liquor cabinet." She said evenly as she climbed the stairs to the porch.

Eleanor's eyes flicked to Emily for guidance.

Emily shrugged, helplessly, too upset herself to think of anything better.

"Of course, honey." She said gently. "The fire is still going out back. Why don't you go down."

Paige nodded, tightly and disappeared into the house.

"What happened?" Eleanor asked as Emily climbed the porch steps.

* * *

Emily fought to open her eyes. After recounting the night's events to Eleanor she had joined Paige at the fire pit. Paige sat with a glass of something amber colored filled almost to the rim sipping from the glass every minute of so as she stared into the fire.

Emily took down another glass of wine after having drained one while in the kitchen. She knew it was a mistake but the night had gone from bad to worse to unthinkable and it seemed like the thing to do. Paige had certainly thought so. They had spoken little which was probably for the best considering their conditions by then.

Paige managed to shower and they fell into bed, exhausted well after midnight. Emily would speak to Paige in the morning and then she had every intention of tracking down Chief Holbrook and getting permission to get out of town. It was time for them to go.

Emily rolled over to an empty bed and sat up, blinking the fog from her mind. The sheets were cool. She looked at the clock. It was barely 8 am. "Paige?" She called hoarsely wondering if she was maybe in the bathroom. She was met with silence.

Emily dragged herself out of bed and scrubbed her face as she headed to the bathroom to clean up a bit before she went looking for Paige.

Paige ran the enormous soapy sponge along the length of her car again despite having been aggressively washing her car for nearly an hour already. She thought she would have been able to sleep longer considering how much she had had to drink but it hadn't happened.

She had woken up at dawn with a still smoldering anger in her gut, her muscles tight with tension. She had dressed in her workout gear and really needed a run but she was fairly certain she was still drunk and, in her heart of hearts, she was afraid and she hated herself for it.

She threw the sponge toward the bucket of water, missing badly, and wobbled slightly over to pick up the hose to rinse when the patrol car pulled up. Paige turned the nozzle to spray and began her rinse as Officer Davies climbed out of the car.

He watched her for a moment, his face impassive. "Good as new. No harm no foul." He commented finally.

Paige glared at him and kept rinsing. "What do _you_ know about it?"

"It's a small town." Davies shrugged, a smile threatening at the corners of his mouth. "The Chief heard some of the locals had been messing with you over in Lamar and he asked me to come up and make sure you and your friend were alright."

"_Messing_ with me?" Paige glared at him in disbelief and threw the hose to the ground. "Is that what you call a hate crime in this town?"

Davies stiffened at the implication, his expression sobering. "If you want to file a complaint we can do that but you'll need to come down the station and fill out-"

"Oh, I get it." Paige smiled though it did not reach her eyes. "Those _Deliverance_ rejects are your boys aren't they?" Paige was done feeling pushed around and bullied by these yokels."I can see the weak chinned, pimply faced resemblance now." She laughed as fury built in her and she could no longer separate her emotions today from the 14 year old girl tormented years ago. She felt cornered and lashed out viscously. "Do they make you squeal like a pig?"

Davies paled at the venom in her tone. He raised his hands in surrender. "Look, I'm trying to help you."

"I don't believe for a second you give a shit about us or Rachel Willis, for that matter, and I sure as hell hope she has someone other than you investigating her murder if she has a chance for justice!" She raged as she let her eyes rake over him, disdainfully, before landing on his tactical belt. "And don't think I don't know what that gun is a substitute for." She sneered, her eyes landing on the hilt of sheathed knife. She clucked her tongue and crossed her arms over her chest. "Since when does small town police department issue knives?"

Davies' mouth gaped in shock at her rage and implied accusation and he swallowed heavily. "I understand you're upset, Ma'am." He said softly. "But you don't know what you're talking about."

"Fuck you." Paige snarled and kicked the bucket of filthy water in his direction before stalking toward the house.

At some point Eleanor and Emily had come out onto the porch. She had no idea how much they had heard but, from the concerned looks on both their faces it seemed they had heard plenty.

Paige stomped up the steps, her anger threatening to consume her if she didn't find an outlet for it soon.

"Paige, wait." Emily placed a hand on her arm to slow her as she went by.

Paige stopped, glancing at Emily's hand on her. "I can't right now, Em." She ground out and pulled away, slamming through the front door.

Emily turned, her hands steepled in front of her mouth. "Oh, God, I don't know what to do." She sighed, looking beseechingly between Eleanor and Officer Davies. "Officer, I know you can't tell me anything about your investigation but can you find out, at least, how much longer Chief Holbrook expects us to remain in town?"

"I'm sorry." He looked genuinely regretful. "I'm not certain what the Chief's intention is but I'll, for sure, let him know you're asking. In the meantime, did you want to file a complaint…" He trailed off and gestured to the car. "Now that's it's been cleaned I'm not sure what I can do for you but-"

"No, it's fine." Emily raised a hand to stop him. "Paige is just…" Emily shook her head, sadly. "She's really angry right now."

"I understand." Officer Davies nodded. "I would be, too." He turned back to his patrol car. "I'll check with the Chief for you."

"Thank you." Emily leaned against the porch railing and crossed her arms as Davies drove away. "What now?" She turned to Eleanor who had remained silent through all of this.

Before she had a chance to answer Paige banged back out of the house, dressed and vibrating with fury as she jerked open her car door and slid behind the wheel.

"Paige!" Emily called. "Where are you going?"

"To get gas." Paige snapped as she started the car, revving the engine.

Emily blinked, confused, her eyes flicking to Eleanor.

The woman, paled, her eyes widening as she turned to Emily and gripped her arm tightly. "Stop her, Emily." She said desperately. "Don't let her go."

Emily's head snapped up at she realized where Paige was headed and she leapt from the porch steps and raced to Paige's window. "Paige, stop."

Paige stared straight ahead. "You can come if you want, Em."

Emily's heart thudded in her chest and her breathing sounded panicked in her ears. "Please, don't do this." She pleaded. "I'm begging you."

Paige turned to her, an expression of feigned innocence on her face. "It's just gas, Emily." She threw the car into gear and inched forward.

Emily jumped back as the car moved. "No!" She held out her hands. "I'm coming." Maybe she could talk some sense into her on the way there. She ran around to the passenger side and gave Eleanor an apologetic glance as she climbed in but the woman was already heading into the house.

"You don't have to say anything." Emily began and turned in her seat to face Paige. "But, please, honey, just listen to me." She knew she didn't have long.

Paige's face was stony as she kept her eyes on the road her left hand gripped the wheel tightly as the fingers of her right drummed a jittery beat against her thigh.

"Paige, I know how angry you are. I am, too." Emily glanced forward to see Paige gliding through the light in town. Why couldn't it be red. "What's happened isn't fair and I'm sorry. I wish there was some way I could make this better for you. I know you feel helpless right now and I understand it's scaring you…" She paused, realizing she had hit home as Paige's jaw clenched tightly and her eye twitched at that. "...you are not that little girl anymore and these people can't hurt you unless you let them. We haven't done anything wrong, honey, and you don't have anything to prove. Not to anyone."

If Emily's words had any effect it was too late as Paige pulled into the gas station owned by Russell Reardon, Rachel Willis' stepfather and the last place she had been seen alive. The car rolled over the bell hose and Emily heard the chime through the open garage door.

Paige flipped the gas cap lever by her seat and was out of the car before Emily could say another word. She sucked in a deep breath and prayed for all she was worth but, somehow, she knew it wouldn't be enough.

* * *

**Thanks for all the reviews. Things are about to go very poorly for our heroines...Gulp! **


	17. Chapter 17

Emily turned in her seat to see Paige, jam the nozzle into the car and flip the lever, the sound of gas burbling though the hose. The crash of metal on metal sounded from the garage and Emily turned to see a figure emerge from the depths of the garage.

She knew immediately it was Russell Reardon. He was not a big man, not even six feet tall but his body was hard and lean. He wore greasy overalls, the arms tied around his waist to show off a stained, white sleeveless undershirt and heavy work boots rose over his ankles

Emily watched as his steely eyes rolled over Paige's car before settling on Paige and narrowing with malevolent intensity. Emily sucked in a breath, her chest tightening with dread. Eleanor's description had not done him justice. The man looked like evil personified.

As she saw him move out of the doorway Emily stepped from the car, her eyes going to Paige over the hood as Paige watched him with interest.

"What do you think you're doing here, Girlie?" The man stalked toward Paige, slowly, wiping his greasy hands on a rag. His voice was deep and raspy.

Paige looked around, dramatically, as if she thought he might be speaking to someone else. "Getting _gas_." She nodded to the pump in her hand and the sign above her head. "At the _gas_ station."

"I think you best be moving along now." He said, eyes glittering with anger.

"Paige, let's just go." Emily sensed danger from the moment he stepped out of the garage.

Paige's eyes flicked toward her but otherwise she didn't acknowledge her. She was done being pushed around by the crazies in this town. "Be another minute or two." She said cheerfully as the gauge dinged with each gallon. "She's fast but a real gas hog, you know?"

The man sneered. "We don't serve your kind here." He spat.

Paige frowned and feigned confusion. She knew exactly what he meant. "You don't serve paying customers?" She looked at Emily aghast.

Emily shook her head sharply at Paige. "Paige, let's go." She said again.

"Paige, huh?" The man snarled. "That what they're naming the filthy perverts these days?" He stepped closer and gestured to her with the rag. "One's that prey on unsuspecting young girls. Try and turn them away from a good and godly path."

Emily sucked in a breath at his words, worried less about what he said then what Paige was going to do about it.

Paige stood, dumbstruck, her jaw dropping comically. Then she did the worst possible thing she could do to a man like Russell Reardon. A man his whole life feeling like he was owed something from everyone and demanded respect whether earned or not. She laughed. Not just a snicker, something that could be covered with a cough or clearing of her throat. She threw her head back and roared with laughter.

Emily watched the man's face contort from mean to menacing at Paige's reaction and she felt the first prickle of real fear. She glanced down into the car. She had left so fast didn't have her phone.

"You think that's fucking funny?" He growled.

Paige wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand as her laughter died. "No." She giggled as she pulled the nozzle from the back of the car and replaced it at the pump before turning to him. "I think it's fucking hilarious." She said evenly.

"Paige." Emily warned, her voice pleading. "Don't"

"Especially the part where you think I give a rat's ass about the opinion of a snaggletoothed, backwoods, shit for brains like you." Paige smiled sweetly at him and pulled two twenties from her pocket and held it out. "Thanks, for the gas."

"You fucking cunt!" He snarled, his face purpling with rage. He smacked the money out of Paige's hand. "Let's see how funny you think this is." He turned and kicked out hard, putting the sole of his heavy boot through the tail lights of the charger with a crunch of plastic and glass.

"What the fuck!" Paige screamed at him as he raised his foot to kick at the car again "You stupid, fucking prick!" She rushed him.

"Paige, no!" Emily knew this was going to end badly as soon as she got into the car but she could still not believe how fast everything happened as she watched Paige close the distance between them in two steps.

Paige pushed him and he staggered on one leg and swore but didn't go down and that was all the provocation he was looking for. He righted himself with a growl and swung hard, his right fist connecting solidly with Paige's left eye with a sickening smack.

Her head snapped back, lights exploding behind her eyes as her legs turned to jelly and she staggered and dropped to the ground with a cry of pain.

"Paige!" Emily shrieked and ran to them. Russell Reardon was already moving in on Paige, raising a boot to kick at her. Emily grappled at his arm to drag him away. "No!" She screamed. "Get off!"

He laughed, jerking his arm free and pushed her away, sending her staggering back. "I'll be right with you, honey." He lifted his foot and stomped down on Paige's left lower back driving her into the dirt as she struggled to get up. Another kick to the ribs sent her curling into a ball with shriek of pain. "Don't worry, you fucking dyke." He laughed. "I'll take good care of your whore. I don't even care she ain't white." He raised his boot to kick her again and froze when he felt the cold, hard barrel jab into the back of his neck.

"Back off her." Emily screamed, her breath coming hard and fast. "Now!" She jabbed the toy pistol into the back of his neck hard and gripped his shoulder, spinning him away from Paige.

He raised his hands, the color draining from his face, as he moved away. "Take it...take it easy, lady." He stammered and backed away from them.

Emily held the pistol out in front of her and kept it level on Reardon. She risked a glance to Paige, who was coughing and making a strangled sound into the dirt as she struggled to get her legs under her. "Paige, get in the car." Emily commanded. She didn't want to risk taking her eyes off Reardon.

Paige groaned and staggered to her feet, retching, her good hand covering her left eye. "Fuck you!" She snarled at Reardon.

His face twisted in rage again and he stepped forward. "Cunt!"

"Don't!" Emily screamed at him. "Paige, get in the damn car!" She was hanging on by a thread and any second he was going to realize the gun wasn't real.

The standoff was broken up when tires squealed on the street and the whoop of a siren cut through the air as a patrol car kicked up dirt rumbling into the lot. Officer Davies jumped out of the car, his right hand poised on the grip of his weapon. "Easy, easy." He said and walked toward Emily. "Put the weapon down, Ma'am."

Emily released a shaky breath and lowered her arm. "It's alright." She sighed. "It's not real." She held it up by the plastic grip. "It's a cap gun." She tossed it into the dirt.

Russell Reardon roared his rage. "You fucking dykes!" He screamed. "You'll burn in hell!"

Emily turned. "Officer, this man assaulted us and I intend to press charges." She gestured to Paige, leaning over against the car, obviously having trouble keeping upright.

Officer Davies eyed Paige, briefly but addressed Emily. "Do you need an ambulance, Ma'am?"

Emily shook her head, disgusted. She was so angry she could barely see straight. "No, thank you, officer."

He nodded, curtly. "Get her out of here." He said and turned to Russell Reardon, reaching for his handcuffs. "I will be by to take your statements later today."

Emily walked back to the car, jaw clenched so hard she thought her teeth might break. Paige opened her mouth to speak but seeing the look on Emily's face snapped her mouth closed with a click of her teeth. She stumbled to the passenger's side and dropped into the seat, hissing in pain at the movement.

Emily slipped behind the wheel and tore out of the lot before Paige had even managed to get her door closed. She gripped the wheel hard, to stop her hands from shaking, her heart hammered in her chest, breath ragged as she worked to calm down from the intense adrenaline rush.

"Em…" Paige began, hoarsely, after several long minutes of silence. "...are you alright?"

"Am _I _alright?" Emily laughed humorlessly. "Christ, look at you." Emily shook her head in disbelief.

"I'm sorry." She breathed. The car jounced in and out of a deep rut Emily drove much too fast over and Paige arched her back with a grunt of pain.

"Paige, I can't do this right now." Emily skidded to a stop in front of Eleanor's and threw the car in park, taking long, slow, deep breaths to steady herself. "Can you walk?"

* * *

Emily closed the door to their room and leaned against it while counting to ten to control her emotions. She held up her left hand, watching her fingers tremble slightly. It was better than it was. Her other hand held a bag of ice wrapped in a towel Eleanor had made for her without asking too many questions after she had sent Paige staggering up the stairs to their room.

The door to the bathroom was cracked and Emily heard the toilet flush and the water running for a few moments before Paige came out. She stood in the doorway looking scared and, obviously having trouble standing straight. Her left eye was blood red with dark swelling around her lid and cheek.

Emily shook her head and closed the distance to her, taking her by the hand and leading her to the bed. She set the ice on the nightstand. "Lie down on your right side." She directed and guided Paige down to the bed and encouraged her to raise her arm over her head.

Paige did as she was told, breathing carefully and trying not to let Emily know how much pain she was in. Emily lifted her shirt and winced at the dark bruising over Paige's left kidney and lateral ribs that she could almost tell was in the shape of a boot, wondering if she should have answered differently about that ambulance. "Damnit, Paige!" She ground out.

She palpated across Paige's lower back and along her left ribs. Paige hissed and tensed as she pressed on the bruised skin but otherwise tolerated it well. "Was there blood in your urine?" Emily asked.

Paige shook her head. "No."

Emily pulled her t-shirt down. There were no fractures and there was no heat or tension indicating internal injuries. If her kidney was bruised which was was still possible it would bleed. "If there is you need-"

"I'll tell you." Paige breathed. She wasn't going to keep something like internal bleeding to herself. "I promise." She struggled to turn back over and prop herself against the pillows. Her head throbbed and her back and side ached fiercely.

Emily looked at her face with a practiced eye. She cupped her hands around her face, blocking the light, then moving them to ensure her pupils were reacting equally. She palpated around Paige's eye socket and cheekbone checking for fractures and, miraculously, finding none. "How is your vision?"

"A little blurry." Paige mumbled, the adrenaline having long leached from her body and leaving her exhausted.

"Headache?" Emily held up a finger and moved it back and forth across Paige's field of vision. "Follow with just your eyes." She instructed.

"Yes." Paige did as she was told.

"Good." Emily answered and sat back handing Paige the ice finally. "No fractures and no signs of a concussion but I'm not at all happy about you taking two hard blows to the head in as many weeks. You need to tell me right away if you're feeling disoriented or nauseated, understand?"

"Yes." Paige held the ice to her face. "I'm not thrilled with hard blows to the head either." She tried for levity.

Emily stared at her, her lips pressed in a tight line. "Of all the reckless, thoughtless things to do." She shook her head and pinned Paige with a look. "He could have killed you."

Paige quirked her mouth. "Victim blaming, Dr. Fields?" She joked, her smile faltering when Emily's gaze turned to ice. "Em-"

Emily held up a hand to stop her, her expression hard, as she rose and turned her back on Paige, sucking in deep calming breaths. "I'm going to pretend you did not just say that to me." She ground out finally.

"Emily, I'm sorry." Paige pleaded. "I wasn't thinking-"

"No, kidding, Paige!" Emily whirled back around. "Or rather, you weren't thinking of anyone but yourself. You went out there looking for a fight, Paige." Emily gestured to her, dramatically. "And you sure as hell found it."

"I didn't mean for this…" Paige sighed. "I just needed to do _something_. I wanted to feel him out."

"Oh yeah?" Emily asked, mockingly. "How does it feel?"

Tears burned behind Paige's eyes as she struggled to keep it together. "Emily, please…"

"Please, what?" She snapped furiously. "He wanted to kill you, Paige!" She stalked back and forth along the side of the bed coming to a stop next to Paige's head. "And to rape _me_ in case you missed that part." She finished icily.

An agonized sound came from the back of Paige's throat and she struggled to push herself up.

"Goddamnit, Paige, stay still!" Emily shouted at her before turning to rummage in her bag. She returned to the bed with three, white tablets and a bottle of water. "Take these." She commanded.

Paige shook her head. "I don't need-"

"Paige, if you think you're hiding from me how much pain you're in you're wrong." She raised her eyebrows and pinned Paige with a look that brooked no argument. "Take them."

Paige scraped the tabs from Emily's hand with trembling fingers and got them into her mouth, washing them down with water and without question. She didn't know how to fix this. She didn't know how else to apologize. "What can I do?" She asked desperately.

Emily looked at her sadly. "You can think, for two seconds, how it felt for me…" She put her hand to her chest and sucked in a deep breath. "...to watch you get knocked out and kicked and not be able to do a thing to stop it." She swallowed heavily.

"But...but you did stop him." Paige said hesitantly.

Emily took a shuddering breath, pressing her lips tightly together. She was so close to breaking down she was afraid to speak. "You can thank Eleanor for calling the police and getting Officer Davies out there later."

Paige couldn't hold back the tears any longer, tears from her left eye tinged pink with blood from a damaged tear duct. "I'm...sor...sorry…." She stammered. Her tongue felt thick, her thoughts muddled. "What…" She breathed, swallowing heavily. Her left hand holding the ice dropped to the bed, too heavy to hold any longer.

Emily moved to the edge of the bed and sat down picking up the ice and holding it to Paige's face. "It's the meds I just gave you." She explained. "Tylenol with codeine. Enough to sedate you for most of the day and I'll keep them in you through the night."

Paige frowned in confusion, struggling to keep her eyes open.

"I'm sorry, but you need to stay still and rest is the best thing for you right now. There are no signs of internal bruising but I'm not convinced you're in the clear." Emily brushed a lock of hair from Paige's face and shifted the ice pack against her eye. "I need to go down and wait for Officer Davies to give my statement and, honestly Paige, I'm afraid if I leave you alone you'll do something stupid and injure yourself further."

Paige's eyes rolled, helplessly and she couldn't fight the pull of narcotics. She felt Emily get up and pull off her boots before draping a blanket from the end of the bed over her. It was the last thing she was aware of.

Emily turned at the knock at the door. Half of her wanting to stay and hold Paige's hand until she woke, the other half unable to look at her she was so angry. "I'm sorry about this." She said to Eleanor when she answered the door.

Eleanor peered over her shoulder to Paige. "Is she alright? Does she need anything?"

"She will be." Emily sighed. "And, yes, if you could gift her with good judgement and common sense I would be eternally grateful." Emily slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her. "Either that or a lobotomy." She laughed, humorlessly. "On second thought, it's probably me that needs the lobotomy."

The older woman smiled warmly and with good humor. " I know it's still morning but how about a glass of wine and a sympathetic ear?"

Emily smiled and let out a long slow breath. "Make it a bottle of wine and you've got yourself a deal."


	18. Chapter 18

Paige struggled out from under the haze of drugs and clawed her eyes open. Sun streamed in through the window but she had no idea the time, or the day, for that matter. She pushed herself to sitting with effort. If possible, she hurt worse than before and gasped aloud as her body protested the movement. She had vague memories of Emily getting her to drink and take more painkillers overnight.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed as the door opened and Emily walked in with a tray. Paige could smell coffee and her stomach turned.

"Hey, hey." Emily exclaimed and set the tray down, moving to Paige's side and reaching for her . "Let me help you."

Paige pushed her hand away. "I got it." She said hoarsely and lurched to her feet with a grunt of pain.

"Paige, don't be stupid." Emily, cajoled and reached for her again.

Paige brushed her off. "Thought you'd be use to it by now." She muttered and staggered around the room collecting clean clothes before heading to the bathroom.

Emily moved with her, wincing every time Paige bent to pick something up. It was obviously deeply painful. She followed her to the bathroom to offer her help only to have the door slammed in her face. She had long since calmed down and had time to reflect on what had happened and how she had reacted. Paige wasn't the only one with a temper. Emily leaned her head against the bathroom door. She had handled things badly, she knew. "Paige, are you okay?"

Paige flushed the toilet. "No blood, Emily, I'm fine."

"I'm sorry." Emily began through the door. "I was scared and angry but I should never have gone at you like that."

"Can we do this later?" Paige's reply was strained. "I really feel like shit, thanks."

Emily sat on the sofa and clutched a mug of coffee, ready to jump up at the slightest indication Paige needed help. The shower cut off but she was in the bathroom for a long time and Emily could hear her struggling to get dressed. When the door finally opened she was pale and a sheen of sweat glistened across her brow. Paige walked hunched slightly to the left, her arm tucked into her side for support.

She sat at the edge of the bed and reached for her boots, gasping and clutching her side in pain. "Fuck." She growled and kicked her boot across the room in frustration.

Emily was off the sofa like a shot. She collected Paige's boot and knelt in front of her. "Let me help, please." She looked at Paige but she would not meet her eyes. "Paige, why won't you look at me?" Emily asked gently, placing her hands on Paige's knees.

Paige swallowed heavily around the tightness in her throat. "I'm ashamed." She whispered, hot tears welling in her eyes before spilling over.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry." Emily massaged her hands over Paige's legs. "I shouldn't have said all those things in anger." Emily sighed as Paige continued to look away, crying silently. "Paige, please, look at me." She pleaded.

Paige wiped angrily at the tears on her face and turned to meet Emily's eyes, her emotions choking her again at the love and understanding she saw in them. "If anything had happened to you...because of me...I wouldn't...I..." She trailed off in gulping breaths.

"I know." Emily smiled gently. "I'm fine, honey, and you will be, too." She picked up Paige's boot and held it for her to slip her foot in, lacing it loosely the way she liked. She did the same for the other. "I should never have blamed you and I hope you can forgive me."

"I had it coming, I know." Paige replied.

"No." Emily said firmly. "You didn't deserve any of it. You made an error in judgement and you let your temper get the better of you but you did not, under any circumstances, deserve what happened. I was angry because I was terrified. I was wrong and I'm so sorry." She held Paige's gaze. "Do you hear me?"

Paige nodded. "Do you still love me?" She asked softly.

Emily breathed a laugh. "Desperately and completely." She stood and helped Paige to her feet, pulling her gently into her arms and running her hands over her back. "But, please, Paige, I'm begging you. Take care of yourself. I can't keep scraping you up and putting you back together. My heart can't take it."

Paige returned her embrace, a small hitch in her breath of discomfort. "I love you, too." She breathed into her hair. "Let's never do that again."

"Agreed." Emily laughed. She pulled away and brushed her fingers down the side of Paige's face, dark, swollen and bruised. "You know, you don't have anything to prove to me." She whispered and kissed her softly on the lips. "Ever."

"Okay, good." Paige released a tense breath. "So, can I have more drugs now? Jesus, it hurts."

Emily frowned and held her at arms length. "Your ribs or back?"

"Yes." Paige laughed through gritted teeth.

"Let me see." Emily turned her away and lifter her shirt. "Oh, Paige." Paige's back and side were deeply bruised. Emily ran her hands over the area again checking for unusual heat or movement in her ribs. She could still not detect any fractures and as long as she wasn't peeing blood there wasn't any significant bleeding around the kidney. "What you really need is an x-ray and ultrasound. How do you feel about a trip the clinic?"

Paige shook her head. "No, thank you. Just something to take the edge off but not enough to knock me out."

Emily pressed her lips into a thin line not at all surprised at the answer. At least she wasn't trying to be a hero about the pain. She dug the bottle out of her bag and shook out a tab. She snapped another in half. "This should help for a few hours but you're not going to be driving."

"I can live with that." Paige tossed back the meds with coffee. "Where are we going?"

"I told Officer Davies we'd be down at the station this morning so they could get photos of your injuries and you could give your statement." Emily explained. "I think you should eat something first, though."

"Sure." Paige pushed herself to her feet again, the meds already kicking in and making movement easier. "I could eat."

* * *

"Jesus Christ!" Chief Holbrook shot out of his chair when Emily and Paige were shown into his office by the receptionist. "Are you two alright?" He crossed the room and took Paige's chin in his hand, tilting her head to get a look at her face. Her eye was filled with blood and half swollen shut, the skin around dark shade of blue and purple. "Sit down." He commanded.

Emily helped Paige ease into the chair she was in the other day, her movements stiff despite the painkillers Emily was pouring into her.

"Mary Ann, please bring in the digital camera and, if you would, get us some coffee?" Chief Holbrook asked.

He closed the door and returned to them, perching on the edge of the desk. The muscles in his jaw bunched and he ground his teeth. "I read Davies' report and Russ Reardon is certainly not denying anything." He laughed humorlessly. "He never does." He looked between them. "Does one of you two want to tell me what happened?"

Emily looked at Paige. She could tell she was getting angry again, feeling bullied and out of control but if Paige wanted to pop off this was probably the best place for her to do it.

"I needed gas." Paige ground out.

Holbrook nodded. "Something wrong with the Texaco in town?"

Paige gritted her teeth and tensed. "I'm not going to apologize or hide who I am because some white-trash, piece of shit, bible thumping, freak show thinks he knows-"

"I get it." Holbrook held up his hand to stop her as Paige's voice crescendoed to a roar. "And for the record Russell Reardon's opinion is not shared but the majority of the folks in this town." He paused and waited for Paige to settle down. "But we both know you didn't go out there because you needed gas, McCullers."

Paige shifted in her chair trying to ease her discomfort. She was saved from having to answer at a sharp knock. Mary Ann was back with coffee and the camera.

"Thank you. " Holbrook set the tray of coffee on his desk and gestured to Paige. "Let's get this over with."

Paige pushed herself out of the chair with a wince, wobbling for a moment, before she straightened. She stood still and kept her face expressionless as he snapped a couple of shots of her face.

He eyed her body. "What else?"

She turned, lifting up her t-shirt.

Holbrook sucked in a breath and the large dark, angry bruise on her back and side. "Shit." He breathed. "That mother fucker." He took a few more shots.

"Yeah." Paige laughed with a wince. "That's what I said." She pulled her shirt back down. "Is one of those for me?" She motioned to the mugs of coffee.

"I'll get it. You sit." Emily rose and picked a mug for her, waiting for her to settle back in the chair before handing it to her. She took one for herself and sat back down as well. "So, what now?"

Holbrook returned to his perch on the desk and sipped his coffee. "Listen." He began and eyed them both. "I'm sorry you've all gotten mixed up in this and I'm going to tell you this in good faith. Russell Reardon was not involved in Rachel Willis' murder." He waited for that to sink in. "I know that's not what you want to hear but I've got a handful of witnesses that put him drunk as a skunk and playing poker all night until he passed out in a field on the other side of town."

Paige sighed and shook her head. "That asshole is-"

"I know." Holbrook stopped her from going off again. "He's trash but he's not a murderer. Now, if you want to press assault charges, that's a slam dunk. With written statements from both of you and the photos to document your injuries plus his confession we can send him up for six to nine months, probably"

"Is that all?" Emily said startled. "He could have killed Paige."

"Yes, well, there is the small matter of Paige attacking him first that he could use as grounds for self defense and the matter of the toy gun. Even the worst court appointed counsel could use that against you. " He eyed Emily. " He obviously thought it was real. So, if you don't want any of that coming up and I know you don't want to get stuck here for a trial I'd just leave it as is." Holbrook explained.

Paige sat slumped in her chair, glowering. "Jesus." She breathed.

"Now." He looked at both of them hard. "I appreciate you coming back here and helping out with the investigation to Rachel's murder. I have all the information I need from you and, in light of what happened yesterday, I see no need for you to stick around here any longer. You're free to leave. Immediately." He finished to avoid any confusion.

Paige straightened in her chair, grimacing in pain at the movement. "What?" She looked at Emily. "But what about the case?"

Holbrook looked at her surprised, assuming she'd be out the door like a shot. "Like I said. There's nothing else for you to do and I don't want to have to worry about the two of you on top of everything else."

"Why would you have to worry about us?" Emily asked concerned.

Holbrook frowned and raked a hand through his hair. He thought getting them out of town would be easier. "Russ Reardon, believe it or not, has friends here." He looked between them to make sure they were following his point.

Emily pressed her lips together in thin line of understanding. It was time for them to go. She nodded.

"Well, I'm afraid I may not be well enough to travel." Paige blurted.

Holbrook and Emily both stared at her, wide eyed. "Alright." Holbrook stood and crossed his arms over his chest. He was done playing nice. They were leaving. "You may think you're hot shit in Rosewood playing Rizzoni and Isles but I do not need your help and I sure as shit don't need the distraction-"

"Rizzoli." Paige muttered.

"What?" He snapped.

"Rizzoli and Isles." She repeated, hesitantly.

He stared at her, hard. "Do I look like I give a shit?" He glared at Emily. "Here are your choices. You can leave town. Today. Or, I can press assault charges on you, McCullers" He jabbed a finger at Paige. " for laying hands on Russell Reardon and you, Dr. Fields, for that little stunt with the cap gun."

"What the fuck!" Paige yelled. "You can't do that."

"I can, actually." He smirked. "It won't stick, I know, but it won't stop me from holding you for 72 hours. I doubt very much you had that worked into your travel plans."

Emily just shook her head. She believed him. It didn't matter anyway, they were leaving.

"Shall I give you a few minutes to talk about it?" He stepped passed them and out of the office.

"That asshole." Paige raged.

"Paige, calm down." Emily replied. "Why are we even having this conversation? Let's get out of here."

Paige gaped at her. "Don't you care what happened to that girl?"

"Of course, I do." Emily frowned. "But it's a problem for the police, Paige. There's nothing we can do here."

Paige gritted her teeth, eyes flashing, and shook her head. "I can't leave without knowing."

"Paige." Emily slid out of her chair and crouched in front of her, placing her hands on her knees. "What's gotten into you?" Emily was worried. She certainly hadn't expected to know everything about this woman in such a short amount of time but she didn't even recognize her right now.

Paige slumped back in her chair. "I guess being accused of murder and getting my ass kicked brings out my dark side." She growled.

Emily sighed. "I'm sorry." She searched Paige's eyes. " I understand you want to help but I think the best thing we can do now is let the Chief do his job. It's time to walk away." She reach for Paige's hand, gripping it in her own. "I'm pretty sure spending a night in jail is not on your bucket list."

Paige chewed her lip, taking several long, deep breaths to pull herself together. Emily was right, it was time for them to go and, in a few weeks, this would all be a crazy story to tell their friends. "Okay, you're right." She nodded slowly.

"Okay." Emily smiled.

Paige grinned. "I've already crossed spending a night in jail of my list in college."

"Why am I not surprised?" Emily sighed and grinned back. There was the Paige she knew. "Do I even want to know?"


	19. Chapter 19

Holbrook stepped back into his office. "Put him in interview 1." He called over his shoulder to someone in the department. "So, what have you decided?" He asked, a glint of humor in his eye.

"Don't be an ass." Paige shook her head. "You know we're leaving." Her eyes flicked to Emily for a moment before they settled back on Holbrook. "Before we go what can you tell us about the investigation? Have you found Rachel's backpack?"

Holbrook frowned at her. "I can tell you nothing about the investigation." He looked between them. "I appreciate your interest but-"

Paige pushed herself out of her chair with effort, pain lancing through her back and stealing her breath. "Well, why don't I tell you what I I've learned." She said tightly.

Holbrook pressed his mouth into a thin line and remained silent.

"Craig Simpson, the caretaker of the cemetery was involved with Rachel Willis in high school. Not really noteworthy except her eye tended to wander to the ladies and he may have taken exception to that." Paige paused to let that sink in. "And, incidentally, he carries a knife that fits the profile of your murder weapon."

"What's your point, McCullers?" Holbrook ground out, obviously angry.

"My point is, Chief" Paige shot back. "Even without Reardon, you're not exactly lacking for suspects. Have you met Danica Long? Rachel's supposed BFF?" Paige's lip curled. "You think she didn't have something to say about getting thrown over for Lily Grant?"

If Holbrook was surprised at how much they knew in such a short time it was lost in how his face flushed red at the implication that he hadn't been doing his job. "Look, McCullers-"

"No." Emily interrupted, turning Holbrook's and Paige's heads in surprised attention. She had been quiet and patient long enough. She had been the voice of reason for days and somehow, after everything, his condescending and dismissive attitude was the last straw. "We've been cooperative, patient and understanding." Her eyes bore into Holbrook's. "And in return we've been strung along with non answers, threatened, taunted and…" She gestured to Paige. "...assaulted."

"Hold up." Holbrook raised his hand. "What happened yesterday McCullers brought on-"

"Don't even finish that sentence." Emily said, icily. "Paige may be a hothead, on that we agree, but in no way did she _bring on_ what happened."

"Dr. Fields." Holbrook could feel himself losing ground by the second. "I didn't mean to suggest-"

"Furthermore." Emily steamrolled over him. "Since when does the police department issue Ka-Bar military grade, seven inch fixed blades?" She had not failed to notice how Officer Davies was equipped either.

Holbrook's mouth gaped impossibly and you could have heard a pin drop. Paige blinked stupidly at Emily but before she collected her wits to speak the office door was thrown open.

"What the hell is going on, Gabriel!" A furious woman snapped. "Do I need to call a lawyer?"

Holbrook stared at the door and Emily and Paige whirled to see a stunning, middle aged woman dressed in an expensive suit breeze into the room. "You better have a good reason…" She trailed off, her gaze taking in an alarmed Emily and Paige.

Holbrook's eyes went wide and he cleared his throat. "Councilwoman Long, if you'll excuse us I'll be with you in a moment."

"I'm sorry." The woman stated. "I didn't realize you were with-" Her eyes narrowed on Paige. "Oh, my dear!" She cooed and closed the step between them reaching for Paige's face. "Who did this-"

Paige jerked back, suddenly, sucking in a sharp breath and canting to the side at the sudden movement as the woman approached her. A stranger with the an older, more sophisticated version of the face of Danica Long.

"Excuse me." Emily said coolly, stepping between them. She wasn't letting anyone get near Paige again.

The woman stepped back, eyes narrowing. "I apologize." She replied evenly but looked anything but sorry.

"Alright!" Holbrook boomed and all eyes snapped to him. "Okay. Okay." He said in a more measured voice trying to take back control of his office. "Jesus Christ, everyone take a breath!" He inhaled deeply as if to demonstrate. "And for shit sakes, McCullers, sit back down before you hurt yourself.!"

Paige flinched at his tone but did as she was told, gratefully sinking back into the chair. Emily stood near her, a hand on her shoulder in solidarity and Paige's heart soared with love.

"What the christ!" Holbrook sighed and dropped onto his desk chair. "Julia, do you mind waiting outside until I'm through here?" He sighed. "I'll just be another minute."

The woman studied Paige and Emily. "You're the women who picked up Rachel Willis." She glanced between them. "I heard what that monster Russell Reardon did to you." Her eyes fixed on Paige. "I've been telling Gabriel for years-"

"Thank you, Julia." Holbrook cut her off. "I've got it under control."

"Oh, really?" Her eyes flashed angrily at him. "If that were true there would have been an arrest by now not more questioning of innocent kids-"

"Enough!" Holbrook's hand slammed down on his desk. "Councilwoman Long, if you would wait outside, please, I will be right with you." He said stonily.

The woman opened her mouth as if to protest but thought better of it. She backed out of the office with a nod and closed the door leaving the three of them alone again.

Paige stared after her for a moment before shifting her gaze to the Chief who looked exhausted and overwhelmed. She pushed herself to her feet again and reached for Emily's hand. "Let's get out of here." She said softly.

Emily took her hand and laced their fingers together. "If you need anything else from us, Chief Holbrook, you know how to reach us."

The walked through the station hand in hand, no longer caring who saw or what they thought. Emily's eyes scanned the room as heads turned toward them. Danica Long slouched haughtily against the far wall, her mother whispering and gesturing animatedly to her. "Paige." Emily whispered under her breath and nodded in their direction.

Paige had to turn her head so she could see out of her good eye. "Hm." She grunted. "Maybe Holbrook isn't as hopeless as I thought."

A door opened along one wall and Davies stepped out, closing it quickly behind him but not before Paige got a look at the tall young man in the room. "Craig Simpson was in there." She muttered as they wound their way toward the front.

Emily gripped Paige's hand tighter. "Let's talk about it later."

* * *

"Paige, stop trying to help." Emily scolded as Paige staggered down the front steps with her bag, dropping it to the ground at Emily's feet.

"I'm not going to sit here and watch you pack the car." She insisted, grimacing and backed up to sit on the porch steps.

Emily dug in her purse for the meds. "That's exactly what you're going to do." She handed Paige another tablet. "No arguments."

Paige sighed but swallowed the tab with a bottle of water. "How many is that?"

"Enough you should be able to sleep in the car." Emily went back to loading the trunk. "We've only got a three hour drive to Colorado Springs but I don't think it's going to be very comfortable for you."

"I'll be fine." Paige muttered, already feeling herself getting drowsy.

"Alright, Ladies." Eleanor emerged from the house with a large brown bag. "I've packed up some food for you."

"Sweet." Paige said dopily and took the bag, opening it and peering in.

"Eleanor, you didn't have to do that." Emily said. "We're only going a few hours."

"Yes, well, I've never had someone appreciate my cooking so much." The woman nodded to Paige who was blissfully munching on a fresh roll. "I'm going to miss that."

Emily tossed Paige's bag into the trunk and closed the lid. "We really can't thank you enough for everything you've done for us."

Eleanor smiled. "I'm sorry for all that's happened to you but I'm so glad we got to meet and I hope you remember your stay here…" She shrugged. "...at least a little fondly."

Emily returned her smile as she closed the distance between them, embracing the older woman in strong arms. "Thank you, so much."

Eleanor patted her back. "Anytime, honey." She pulled away and looked to Paige who was now drooping considerably on the porch steps. "You better get out of here and keep her out of trouble."

Emily huffed a breath. "Form your lips to God's ears." She laughed and reached to wrap an arm around Paige. "Come on, tough girl." She helped her to her feet. "We're out of here."

Emily settled Paige in the passenger seat and got her belt on before pulling the lever on the side and dropping the seat back as far as it would recline.

"Be careful on the way out. There's bound to be a lot of people around setting up for the July 4th festivities." Eleanor warned.

"Festivities?" Emily looked confused. "It's the 3rd isn't it?"

Eleanor nodded. "Folks here like to take the 4th as a recovery day and pretty much just blow off work on the 3rd to party. There'll be a picnic later followed by fireworks at the quarry."

"Sorry we're going to miss it." Emily said sarcastically.

Eleanor pulled a business card from her pocket and handed it to Emily. "Call me any time if there's anything I can do for you."

"Thank you." Emily dropped it in the console and slid behind the wheel. "Take care."

* * *

Paige was only partially aware of where she was as she floated in and out of sleep. The thrumming for the tires on the road, the pull of the meds in her and the music playing softly by her ear worked to keep her asleep while the throbbing pain in her back and dull ache in her face battled to drag her, unceremoniously awake.

And underneath all that there was the intermittent buzzing rattling noise that wormed it's way into her thoughts like a half waking dream. There was something wrong with the car. "...we have...a flat…" She mumbled.

"What, honey?" Emily's eyes flicked to Paige and she reached over to brush hair off her face, frowning in anger every time she got a look at her face and how battered she was. They had been on the road for an hour and Paige had not stirred.

"...the fan belt...maybe…" Paige's eyes rolled beneath closed lids as she slurred something else about the car.

Emily figured she was dreaming. "There's nothing wrong with the car." She said softly. "Go back to sleep."

Paige sighed, shifting to ease the discomfort in her back. The song faded out and another began. Alison Krauss _The Lucky One_. The opening guitars began with the stand up base. With every deep note the rattle sounded again. "What...is that…" Paige, breathed fighting to come awake. "Do you hear that?" She dragged her eyes open, the left one only partway, and blinked to bring the car into focus.

Emily looked at her for a moment. "Are you alright? How do you feel?"

"Mmm, sore." Paige struggled to sit up and bring the seat back upright. She looked around, concentrating. "You don't hear that rattle?"

Emily turned the music down and listened. "I don't hear anything."

Paige frowned. "I don't hear it anymore." She reached for the stereo, wincing at the stretch, and turned the music back up louder than before. "There." She breathed and twisted around in her seat. "Hear that?" She leaned in the back. "I think it's this speaker back here."

"Well, we'll take a look at it when we stop." Emily suggested and turned the music back down.

Paige unhooked her seatbelt, setting the warning chime off in the car as she wriggled over to get between the seats.

Emily tried to shift out of her way to avoid Paige knocking into her. "I really wish you wouldn't do that while we're driving, Paige."

"It's fine." Paige grunted as the forced herself into the back seat. "That noise is driving me fucking batty."

Emily sighed, eyeing her in the rearview mirror.

"Can you turn the music up again for a sec?" Paige asked as she bent her ear to the offending speaker.

Emily turned it up. "How's that?"

"Good." Paige listened and placed her hand against the speaker, feeling it vibrate oddly against her fingers. She felt around the rim of the plastic over. It was loose. "Weird." She mumbled and wedged her fingertips beneath the lip of the cover, prying it up gently. It came off with a snap into her hand and she looked at at. "Oh, shit." She breathed.

"What?" Emily called, trying to look behind her. "What's the matter?"

"That's what she was doing back here." Paige blurted in sudden understanding. "That's the sound we heard." She pinched the small, rectangular object in her fingers and held it between the seats for Emily to see.

"A memory card?" Emily's eyes widened. "She hid a memory card in the speaker? Why would she do that? How would she ever get it back?" Emily turned her eyes forward, scanning the road ahead. She had been waiting for the rest area that she knew was in another mile or two. They were coming up on it now. She whipped into the small parking area surrounded by a swatch of grass with a handful of picnic tables and a couple of port-o-johns.

Paige slumped back into the back seat, flipping the card around her fingers. "She couldn't have gotten it back unless we found it and knew what to do with it."

"Come on." Emily climbed out of the car and came around to Paige's door to help her out. "Let's at least be comfortable and eat something while we do this."

Paige unfolded herself from the back seat with a groan as she tried to stretch out her cramped muscles and bruised back. She felt a little less sore than this morning and she hoped it was because she was healing and not just the pain meds. She put a hand to her face. It was extremely tender but the swelling had down down and she could open her eye almost completely.

Emily watched Paige carefully as she wobbled over to the nearest picnic table and dropped onto the bench, absently rubbing her hand over her lower back and muttering to herself as she fumbled her phone out of her back pocket.

She tried not to hover deciding, instead, to wait until Paige asked for help. She dropped the paper bag on the table and unpacked it, setting a ham and cheese sandwich in front of each of them.

Paige snapped the case off her phone but couldn't get the backing off with just the tips of her fingers of her cast hand. "I can't fucking do this." She complained and passed her phone to Emily trading it for a sandwich and taking an enormous bite.

Emily picked up the phone, turning it over in her hand. If Rachel Willis had something she wanted hidden so badly she left it stuck in the speaker of a total stranger's car without any way to retrieve it did they even want to know what was on this card? Did Rachel already know her life was in danger? Is whatever was on this card what she was killed over?

Emily looked to Paige, waiting expectantly. She'd already suffered so much over this thing. Was it completely irresponsible to continue to involve themselves with this? They could drive to the next town and drop this card in the mail to Holbrook and be done with it. They didn't need to know what was on it. Emily knew what Paige was going to say. Would Paige forgive her if she opposed her on this?

"Em?" Paige eyed her. "Put the card in. We need to know what's on it." She said around a mouthful of food.

Emily studied the phone again. "Do we?" She said slowly and set the phone on the table between them.

* * *

**Dear Gentle Readers,**

**Thank you so much for continued support in PMs and all the awesome reviews. It really warms my heart and checking my email after a post is one of my favorite things to see what you all have to say about the latest chapter. I'm thrilled you're all so into it.**

**Sadly, I have to take a break for a few days as I have to go out of town unexpectedly for a family matter. I will be back on line with the rest of the story early next week.**


	20. Chapter 20

Paige stared at her, blankly, wondering if she'd heard her correctly before looking at the phone. "I can't do it by myself."

The words hung in the air between them and even Paige wasn't sure if she meant getting her phone open and reading the memory card or something bigger. Emily looked at her finally and in her eyes Paige saw concern, frustration, uncertainty and, behind it all, fear.

Paige's throat tightened with emotion and she had to look away. Emily had been right, was still right and Paige was only thinking of herself and had been the entire time. She had been so wrapped up in her own unresolved emotional weakness she hadn't bothered to think how any of this was effecting Emily. She didn't even think she had bothered to thank her. For sticking by her, sticking up for her and for sticking her back together when her stupidity and anger got the better of her.

Emily deserved better from her. "You're right." Paige, finally breathed.

Emily blinked at her, surprised. "I am?" She blurted. She had steeled herself for a string of colorful profanity and had not at all prepared to respond to Paige's agreement.

Paige reached across the table and covered Emily's hands with her own. "Yes, you are." Paige held her eyes. "And I've been a selfish asshole and I'm sorry." She took a deep cleansing breath, making sure she truly believed what she was saying. "We've done everything we can to help and you've been so patient with me. Way beyond what I deserve and I'm so sorry I put you through all this. This is _our_ trip and I want to put all this behind us and get back to it."

Emily felt tears pricking behind her eyes and she let out a shaky breath wondering, for a moment, if she was really about to say what she was thinking. "I love you for say that, Paige, so much."

"I'm not just _saying_ it, Em." Paige insisted.

"I know." Emily smiled as the tears slipped down her face.

"Hey, Em." Paige's eyes widened with concern. "Why are you crying?" She pushed herself off the bench, sucking in a breath at the sudden movement.

"No, Paige…" Emily reached to tried to stop her, realizing she was misunderstanding her emotion. "...it's okay." She swiped away the tears

Paige was already on her away around, lowering herself next to Emily with a wince. "Please, don't cry." She reached for her, wrapping her hands behind her neck. "I'm sorry…"

"Paige, stop." Emily breathed a laugh. "That's not it." She smiled through her tears and pulled Paige to her, kissing her deeply, holding on until she felt Paige sigh and relax into her.

"Mmmmm." Paige hummed into her mouth. "What is going on with you?" She murmurred.

"I love you so much, Paige." Emily breathed, pulling away enough to speak. "You've shown so much courage and strength to stand up and fight for what you believe in. You want the truth for that girl and there's nothing selfish about speaking up for someone who can't speak up for themselves."

Paige pulled a little farther away, searching her eyes. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying." Emily took a deep breath. "That you were right about me being one of the cool kids. I was popular and got invited to all the cool parties. I wasn't a mean girl but I was friends with some of them. I saw how they treated other kids and I hated it and I knew it was wrong but I cared more about losing status than I did about doing the right thing and so I did nothing. In many ways, maybe, that was worse."

Paige nodded. She wasn't going to tell her it was alright or it wasn't her fault. "I understand." She said simply.

Emily pressed her lips together tightly. She could do the right thing now. "I want to know what's on that memory card. Why it is so important she felt she needed to hide it in your car. And if it's as important as we suspect I want to get it back to Chief Holbrook as soon as possible."

Paige couldn't fight her grin. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Emily brushed her fingers gently over Paige's damaged face. "I don't want this to be for nothing. I don't want to walk away. Rachel Willis deserves more than that."

Paige nodded, swallowing heavily. "I think so, too." She whispered.

Emily brushed the hair from Paige's face. "I can't do this without you, either."

Paige sucked in a deep breath and looked away across the parking lot. "Don't watch it without me." She grabbed a napkin from the table and struggled to her feet. "I have to pee."

Emily looked across to the port a john, listing precariously to one side, weeds growing up around the door. "Oh, Paige, no." She laughed. "You're not going in there."

"Fuck, no." Paige laughed. "It's like a decaying shit sauna." She staggered slightly. "I'm going behind it.

"Wait." Emily's smile faltered. "Do you need hel-"

"No!" Paige held up a hand. "I got it."

Emily pursed her lips, skeptically, afraid Paige, in her current condition was really going to struggle. "Let me know if you need anything."

Paige walked off, waving to let her know she heard, and disappeared behind the port a john. Emily picked up Paige's phone and pried off the back. She popped out Paige's memory card and inserted the one from the car. She snapped the back on the phone and rebooted.

Her attention was focused on the home screen coming up when she heard Paige come back to the table. "I'm not really sure what to do now."

Paige lowered herself, gingerly, onto the bench. "Let me see." She said, tightly.

Emily handed her the phone seeing her face pinched in pain and sweat beading on her brow. "Hey." She gripped Paige's hand. "Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah." Paige swallowed, heavily. "That was just, um, harder… it's fucking stupid…" She trailed off.

"Paige, it's not stupid." Emily argued. "You were beaten and seriously-"

"Don't! Just don't say it, please." Paige snapped, swiping across her screen.

"Paige." Emily sighed, and dug in her purse, pulling out the tablets. "If you're uncomfortable-"

Paige wouldn't meet her eyes and continued to stare at her phone swiping through the settings. "I've been on meds half the time we've known each other." She said bitterly.

Emily bit down on her lip to keep from pressing the issue. Paige was a grown woman and she wasn't in any medical danger. She could make her own decisions. It was just hard when Emily knew she was in pain and her pride and stubbornness were keeping her from seeking relief. "Okay." She set the bottle on the table. "Why don't you just hold onto these." Emily snatched a napkin off the table. "I'm going to pop a squat."

Paige jerked her gaze from the phone and stared at her. "Did you just say-"

"Yes." Emily cocked an eyebrow at her. "Care to comment?"

Paige held up her hands a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Nope."

Emily returned to the table a few minutes later Paige was still searching the phone. "Any luck?"

"Contacts that mean nothing to me, photos of strangers and Danica Long, Craig Simpson and a lovely looking young woman I assume is Lilly Grant." Paige replied, frustrated and sad. "Oh, and…" She gestured vaguely to the bottle of pain meds. "...we're almost out of…you know." She trailed off.

Emily nodded, keeping her expression neutral but relieved Paige had taken them. "I didn't really bring much, I didn't expect to need…" She grimaced and trailed off, realizing how what she was about to say would sound.

Paige winced, embarrassed but didn't reply.

Emily shook her head. "I have a friend from med school in residency in Denver. I'll give her a call and get her to call in a script for me back in Ivy."

Paige nodded. "Wait." She breathed staring at the phone. "There's a video."

Emily settled onto the bench next to her and peered over her shoulder.

The picture jumped and they saw flashes of what looked like wood planks, then water, then someone's bare leg, then back to water. In the background was breathing, laughter and a quiet swear before the image evened out.

A young, bikini clad woman lay on a dock surrounded by water and rock walls.

"It's the quarry." Paige muttered.

"That looks like Rachel Willis." Emily added.

"_Hey, Rach, smile for the camera." _A man's voice joked.

The woman, definitely Rachel, sat up and glared at the camera. "_Is that my phone?" _She crawled across the dock reaching for the camera. "_Jesus, Ryan, you could have dropped it. Turn it off. The battery is almost dead and I'm waiting to hear from Lilly."_

"_Your princess had arrived." _The voice snickered.

"Is that Ryan Davies?" Paige blurted.

"Shhhh." Emily placed a hand on Paige's shoulder.

The camera panned up to the shore to see a young woman picking her way down the rocky jetty, waving in their direction. There were two other people behind her, a man and woman. They were too far away to tell for sure but Paige would put money on it being Danica Long and Craig Simpson.

"_What's she doing here?" _Rachel Willis stood and moved to the edge of the dock, shielding her eyes from the sun and watched Lilly Grant move toward the end of the jetty.

"_Dani invited her."_ The cameraman giggled.

"_What? Why?" _Rachel Willis turned to look at the person behind the camera, a look of surprise and concern obvious on her face. "_What's going on, Ryan?"_

"_Don't worry, it'll be funny." _The camera trained on the jetty again.

Lilly Grant waved toward the dock and behind her the man and the woman looked to be having an argument that ended with the man shaking his head furiously before walking away back toward the shore.

Emily felt Paige tense in front of her and shifted to wrap her arm around her shoulders from behind. She, too, knew where this was going. And, though, what was about to happen on the video happened a year ago it made the terror of is now no less real.

"_Lilly, no!" _Rachel moved to the edge of the dock and the camera following her bouncing along but a hand closed around her arm before she could dive in_. "Ryan get your hands off me!_" She screamed.

"_Come on, Rach, calm down" _Ryan laughed again.

"_She doesn't swim!"_ Rachel jerked her arm out of Ryan's grasp. "_Danica knows that!"_

The camera panned jerkily toward the jetty in time to see Danica Long push Lilly Grant off the jetty into the water. Rachel hit the water at the same time, the splash covering Lilly's scream of fear.

"Jesus Christ!" Paige yelled, jerking back against Emily as if she was going to jump up and help. The video image dropped, erratically and they could hear the phone as it clattered onto the dock followed by another splash, presumably Ryan Davies going into the water, too. The video showed blue sky for a few moments before it shut off to black.

Paige dropped her phone to the table in much the same way, her body tight and trembling with rage. Danica Long, at the very least, had accidentally caused Lilly Grant irreparable harm and, at worst, attempted to kill her. And Rachel Willis was there. Paige's head was spinning with the possibilities and she desperately wished she hadn't taken more meds. Her mind was foggy and her body sluggish as she pushed herself up from the table.

Paige paced now, raking a hand through her hair and breathing hard. "Oh, shit."

Emily still sat, her head hung, tears threatening over such a horrible tragedy. She understood Paige's anger but there was still so much they didn't know. The video was dated but they didn't know, for sure, if that was the day of Lilly Grant's accident. They didn't know if Danica Long did anything to help or what her intentions had been. "Paige, I understand how you feel." Emily began. "But we don't know what this means or how exactly this is related to Rachel Willis' murder."

Paige could only stare at her, grinding her teeth as she wrestled with a whirlwind of emotions. "No." She ground out. "We don't know." She carefully formed her mouth around every word as the meds crept in on her again. Her pain had eased but she would welcome it back for a time if only it meant she could think clearly.

Emily studied Paige unsure what she was thinking and feeling but afraid to ask. "We'll go back and take this to Holbrook and let him sort it out." She offered.

Paige nodded distractedly as she ran her right tips of her fingers over the inside of her left wrist. "She tried to kill herself once." Paige stared off across the landscape. "Out of guilt? Heartbreak? Hopelessness?" She shrugged. "We'll never know. But the wounds scarred over. I get it now." She looked at Emily, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "She was coming back to make things right. She loved her and she found strength in that love. She covered the scars of her pain with a tattoo of a flower...a lily…" Paige started to laugh bitterly as tears rolled down her face. "She wanted to make things right…"

Emily jumped from the table as Paige began to crumble under the weight of her suspected truth, her body vibrating with anger and sadness at the tragedy. "Let's get back to Ivy." She slipped an arm gently around Paige's waist and walked her to the car. "We can still help them."

Paige nodded, too numb and exhausted to reply. She sank into the passenger seat, her head dropping back, and sighed deeply. "I'm really tired, Em." She murmured.

"I know, honey." She crouched down next to Paige and cupped her cheek. "Hang in there, okay." She reached across her to buckle her seatbelt before pulling the lever on the seat and reclining Paige back as far as she could go. "I'm going to pick up our stuff and make a couple of calls and then we'll get back on the road."

Paige was already breathing deeply in sleep.

* * *

**Whoa, it's been a week but all is good. Thank you for your kind words and patience. Now, the new job is taking over and I'm off to the big city tomorrow for training at headquarters. Hopefully, there will be no more interruptions but I can't make any promises.**


	21. Chapter 21

Emily chewed on her thumbnail, her arm propped against the door as she drove them back to Ivy. She couldn't get a handle on her emotions and her speed reflected it. When her anger dominated, for the tragedies against two young women, she accelerated, thinking the sooner they got back the sooner they could help.

Her eyes, flicked to Paige, exhausted and hurting, both physically and emotionally and she slowed to well below the speed limit, her protective instincts kicking in full force. She had been through so much already and Emily was loathe to drive her back to the source of their troubles. She knew, though, that they both needed closure and the girls' needed justice.

Her jaw ached from clenching her teeth, her anger, frustration and worry mounting with every passing mile. As she took the turn to Ivy her heart began to pound in her chest. Whatever was going to happen it was going to happen soon. She could feel it.

As Eleanor had said the town was now bursting with people and energy. Emily slowed to a crawl as folks flooded the street and music blared in celebration. She gave up trying to inch her way through the masses and pulled over to the curb, well short of her destination.

Ahead on the left the small park was jammed packed, speakers blared and smoke and the smell of barbeque and beer wafted through the air. The tables were filling up as people lined up for their food and sat to eat at any available free space.

Emily grimaced as she looked up the street to her destination. She could see the drug store a small distance up from the park. The door was propped open. She needed to pick up the prescription now as tomorrow the store would be closed. She hadn't planned on having to walk that far but, so far, no one was paying them the slightest attention.

"Paige, honey." Emily brushed her hand down Paige's face and waited for Paige to turn to her, cracking her eyes and offering her a glassy stare. "We're here. I need to run up the street for a minute and when I come back we'll go find Chief Holbrook together."

Paige nodded, swallowing a couple of times before trying to speak. "I'll come…" She croaked and started to push herself up.

"No." Emily pressed her back gently. "Rest, please. I'll be a few minutes." She looked around again. The party raged on across the street and no one seemed to notice or care she was there. Paige had settled again and she cracked the windows and locked the doors before jogging up the street.

Ten yards from her destination she saw and arm reach out and pull the front door of the drug store closed. Emily glanced at her watch, 6:00 pm, and put on a burst of speed. She reached the door and tugged on the handle. It was already locked. A older, portly man stood on the other side of the glass. He shrugged and flipped the open sign to closed in front of her.

"Please." Emily placed a hand on the door. "I had a prescription called in a couple of hours ago. You should have it." She called. "It will only take a minute."

The man frowned, eyeing her and shook his head as he tapped on his watch. "Sorry." Came the muted reply.

Emily glanced down the street to the charger, imagining she could see Paige. She did not want to try get her through the night without narcotic help. She would put on a brave face but Emily knew she would be miserable. "Please, my friend is hurt." She tried. "I really just need...Hey!" She banged on the glass as the man shook his head again before walking away into the store. "Damnit!" Emily clawed her hands through her hair in frustration.

"Emily Fields, isn't it?" A voice asked. "Dr. Fields?"

Emily spun, blinking into the lowering sun at the woman standing on the sidewalk staring at her. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry." She stepped into the shade of the building so Emily didn't have to squint. "We were never properly introduced but we sort of met this morning. I'm Julia Long, town Councilwoman." She extended her hand.

"Right." Emily shook her hand stiffly. She did not care to be friendly with the mother of the woman who had treated them so badly and was, quite possibly, an attempted murderer. "I remember." The woman was dressed casually in a sun dress and flowing, long sleeve button down and strappy sandals though her hair and makeup were expertly done as, she was sure, they always were. Her smile appeared genuine though Emily was still unnerved.

"I apologize if I'm intruding." She said, kindly. "But I couldn't help but notice your distress. Is there something I can do to help?"

Emily sighed, clenching her jaw, her eyes flicking back toward the car. "Not unless you can fill a prescription for me." She said, angrily.

Julia Long nodded in understanding and pulled her phone from her purse. She swiped a well manicured finger across the screen and shot off a quick text. Emily watched her, curiously, and jumped as a moment later the door behind her unlocked and opened.

"Evening, Julia." The ruddy faced, portly man greeted her. "What can I do for you?" He pointedly ignored Emily.

"Kirby, this is Dr. Emily Fields." Julia Long gestured to Emily. "I believe you have a prescription for her?" She made it a question though it clearly wasn't.

The man looked annoyed. "It hasn't been filled yet. I was just about to head over to the picnic."

Emily watched as Julia Long said nothing but raised a single eyebrow in question at the man's excuse.

He cleared his throat and looked uncomfortable. "Of course." He gestured to a bench just inside the store. "If you don't mind waiting a few minutes I'll have that to you as soon as I put it together, Dr. Fields."

Emily gaped at him for a moment before pulling herself together. "Thank you, I appreciate your help." The man disappeared to the back of the store and she moved through the door to the bench and sank gratefully on to it, out of the heat of the evening, with a glance at her watch. What she had hoped would be a quick ten minute errand was swiftly approaching half an hour. She hoped Paige was okay.

"Do you mind if I wait with you?" Julia Long moved toward the bench as well.

Emily did though she couldn't very well say so. The woman had just done her a tremendous favor and very clearly demonstrated how much power she wields in this town and over its people. She would be very foolish now to cross her now. "Please." She pasted a smile on her face.

* * *

Paige was hot, her shirt clinging to her chest and back. Her guts twisted with nausea as she struggled out from under the meds again. She lurched up, the pain in her back and ribs agonizing as she threw open the car door and spun her legs out, doubling over to gulp deep, lungfuls of the warm, fresh air making every effort not to vomit. She didn't know what was worse. The pain or the fog and sickness of pain medication. She decided to live with the pain for a while and see how well she did.

She straightened after a few minutes, unable to stifle a groan as her injuries made themselves known. It felt like she was getting worse, not better as the day wore on. Too many hours in the car and too much tension were not doing her any favors. She pushed herself to her feet and stretched through the ache to try and get her muscles to loosen a bit.

The picnic was in full swing and Paige squinted across the street toward the park. There was a game of horseshoes getting rowdy, kids throwing frisbees and footballs, the music was loud and the smell of barbeque made Paige's stomach protest loudly. She tried and failed to remember the last time she ate a proper meal. Breakfast, maybe.

Paige spun around where she stood all of the sudden realizing she had no idea where Emily was or how long she'd been gone. She couldn't see her at all. She vaguely recalled her speaking to her when they got back into town but was too out of it to remember clearly what had been said. Her stomach flipped sickeningly again, making getting something to eat her top priority. She absolutely did not want to be sick with the injuries she had.

She popped the trunk and moved around to the back of the car to rifle their cooler and bags of food, finally settling on an apple, granola bar and bottle of Powerade. She closed the trunk, leaning against it to eat while she watched the festivities across the street and wait for Emily. Maybe she had gone to the police station as well. As hard as she had fought to come back here and help, maybe, bring Rachel Willis' murder to a close she, all of the sudden, found herself disinterested in being a part of it. Emily could take care of it then they could get the hell out of here for good.

Paige's stomach settled with the food and her mind cleared as the meds burned away. She could handle the pain for a while. A large white van pulled up alongside the park and stopped and she watched as three women and a man dropped to the ground and opened the large sliding side doors and began helping a handful of elderly people down, the three women leading them into the park. They were slow and shuffled along with canes and walkers but looked delighted to be there and were greeted by a handful of revelers who helped them find space at a table and got them plates of food.

Paige's eyes were drawn back to the van as the man remained, working at the back of the van. He pulled a lever and a ramp lowered from the back to the street. He disappeared inside for a few minutes before re emerging, gently easing another person in a wheelchair down the ramp.

Paige froze, the bottle halfway to her mouth when she realized what she was seeing. This van was from the assisted living home and the young woman in the wheelchair was Lily Grant, Rachel Willis' girlfriend. Her heart thudded in her chest and she had to set the bottle on the trunk as her hands began to tremble slightly as she watched the man wheel her past all the tables to a quiet area of the park under the shade of a tree.

Paige's apathy vanished, replaced by the all too familiar anger, sadness and guilt and, before she knew what she was doing, Paige had crossed the street and was skirting around the periphery of the park, making her way over to the tree Lily Grant rested beneath.

* * *

Emily shifted uncomfortably on the bench wishing the man would hurry so she could get back to Paige. She could feel Julia Long's eyes on her, her skin prickling under her stare. She cleared her throat. "Thank you very much for your help with this, Ms. Long. Paige is, um.." She pressed her lips together, not wanting to say too much. "...she'll appreciate what you've done."

Julia Long nodded. "Well, I like to think we take care of our visitors here in Ivy."

Emily stiffened, her eyes flashing with an anger she couldn't hide as she thought about how they had been treated and why she needed this prescription in the first place. "Of course." She said tightly.

"I apologize." Julia Long pressed her lips together in a thin line. "That was insensitive me. I understand you and your friend have been through…I, um..." She cleared her throat and, for the first time, seemed unsure of herself. "...I am ashamed of the part my daughter played in what's happened to you and your partner. Every since her father left when she was just little I've tried to protect her as best as I could and I think, now, she doesn't understand there are consequences to her actions. I'm afraid I've done her a disservice."

Emily gaped at her. She had not expected the woman to be so straightforward and contrite. "Thank you for saying so Ms. Long." Emily relaxed slightly. "Besides Ms. Fulton that feels like the first honest thing anyone has said to us."

Julia Long's mouth quirked. "As a small town politician the irony of that is not lost on me."

Emily smiled. "I know, right?"

"I don't mean to be rude but I thought you and your partner left this morning?" The woman eyed her.

"So did I." Emily sighed, her eyes drifting closed for a moment. "Paige found something…" She trailed off catching herself, her eyes snapping open in alarm to see Julia Long watching her with interest.

"Go on." Julia Long smiled but it did not reach her eyes. "Perhaps, I can help."

The woman was playing her and Emily had walked right into her trap. She had shown her kindness and vulnerability and Emily had let her guard down. She was not being kind at all but trying to disarm her and fish for information, most likely to protect her daughter. "There was just one more thing we needed to discuss with Chief Holbrook." She amended but she already knew it was too late. She had said enough, too much.

"That couldn't be discussed over the phone?" The woman asked suspiciously.

Emily's heart raced. "No, um, we thought it best we return and speak-"

"Here you are, Dr. Fields." The pharmacist returned waving a small white paper bag in his hand. "If you want to give me your insurance card I can-"

"That won't be necessary." Emily cut him off, letting out a slow breath of relief at his timely return as she dug in her purse for cash and handed him two twenties. "Thank you very much for your time. I won't keep you any longer."

The man took the money. "I'll get your change."

"It's fine." Emily said hastily. "I really need to get this to Paige." She offered a curt nod and pushed out the door not needing to turn around to feel Julia Long's icy stare as it bore into her back. She needed to get Paige and get to Chief Holbrook.


	22. Chapter 22

Paige made her way slowly around the picnic area, her gaze sweeping the townspeople looking for trouble. Few people took notice of her and those that did glanced at her and quickly away. There were few open stares.

She passed the horseshoe pit which sounded like it was one swear away from descending into a drunken brawl. Three men dressed in jeans and t-shirts, weather beaten faces and grease stained hands argued over the location of the shoes and who threw what while gesturing with plastic cups, beer sloshing over the sides. Paige had a pretty good idea whose crowd this was and did her best to keep her face hidden from them as she hurried by.

Lily Grant sat impossibly still as the attendant draped a light blanket across her lap and arranged her hands comfortably. As Paige approached she noticed the man looked younger than she had originally thought, maybe her age. "Excuse me."

He turned and straightened, eyeing her curiously but with no malice. "Can I hep you?"

She let out a slow breath. He didn't appear to know who she was. "Yeah, um, I was wondering if I could speak with Lily for a minute?" Paige was totally running on instinct now but she felt compelled to see this through.

The man frowned, suspicious perhaps as he looked Paige over studying her bruised face. "You know she can't talk to you, right?"

"I understand that." Paige nodded. "I just wanted to, um, tell her...something." She finished lamely.

The man considered another minute. "Okay." He stepped away from her. "I'm going to get some food but I won't be far." He started off toward the barbeques.

"Wait!" Paige stopped him and moved after him. "Does she know what happened to Rachel Willis?" It occurred to her that Lily may not know about her friends death and Paige did not want to be the one to tell her.

"Who?" The man looked perplexed.

He definitely wasn't from around here. Maybe a private contracted health aide. "A young woman was killed the other day." Paige explained. "She had been a friend of Lily's and I wanted to make sure Lily knew about it before I said something I shouldn't"

"Oh, right." The man nodded. "That must have been why the officer was at the home the other day. Lily was pretty agitated after that. We've had to sedate her."

"What officer?" Paige couldn't help snooping.

"Young dude." The man said. "Davis, I think."

Paige pressed her lips together in a thin line. Davies was visiting Lily Grant to tell her about Rachel's death. "Thanks." She watched the man head off toward the grills.

Paige turned back and sank to her knees in the grass in front of Lily Grant to better put them on the same level. The young woman's face was slack and pale, her eyes glassy and vacant. Paige had no idea if this is how she was now or, like the man said, she was sedated. She had no way of knowing how much she could understand.

"Hi, Lily." She began hesitantly and waited a moment for any sign she knew she was even being spoken to. There was none. "My name is Paige and I knew, um, I knew your friend Rachel."

There was an unmistakable jerk of her hand in her lap and her fingers trembled ever so slightly. Paige's heart quickened. She was in there. She understood. "I'm so sorry for you loss. I know you and she were close." Paige studied her face, her eye twitched and lips parted slightly as if she wanted to speak. "I'm sorry." She said again, her throat tightening with emotion as she covered Lily's hand with her own.

Paige didn't know if she should go on. What she wanted to say she really had no idea if it was even true except she felt with her whole heart that it was. "I saw Rachel the night she was, um, the night she died and I wanted you to know she was coming back to Ivy to see you." Paige swallowed heavily. "She had a new tattoo on her wrist." Paige traced her finger over Lily Grant's skin to show her where. "It was a Lily and it was beautiful and I know she loved you very much."

Paige heard a rustle of movement behind her and whirled around to see Ryan Davies, in uniform, looming over her. "What the hell!" She struggled to her feet with a grimace and glared at him. "How long have you-"

"Take it easy." He held up a hand to interrupt. "I didn't mean to…." He trailed off as his gaze was drawn to something out of her line of sight. His eyes widened and flicked to Paige, a look of alarm flashing in his eyes before his features hardened. "What the hell are you doing back here, Ms. McCullers?"

Paige frowned. "None of your goddamn business." She shot back and stepped forward to move around him. Emily would surely be looking for her by now. She needed to get back to the car.

He moved to block her path, his lip curling in a sneer. "You on something?"

She jerked to a stop, shocked. "What?"

He waved a hand in front of her face. "Your pupils are constricted and your gait is unsteady." He looked again over her shoulder to something she couldn't see.

Paige shook her head in confusion. She had no smart remark. "Pain medication."

"Yours?" He pressed, pinning her with a look.

"What? Yes, well, no it's Emily's." Paige was unsettled. "I have to go." She tried to move around him again and again he moved to stop her.

"Paige McCullers you are under arrest for possessing controlled substance without a prescription and public intoxication." He closed the distance between them and reached for her.

"What the fuck!" Paige breathed and jerked away from him, her heart pounding and desperate to get back to Emily. "What are you...you can't be serious!"

"You got it under control, Davies?" A gravelly voice called from somewhere behind her.

Davies' jaw clenched at the gibe but stayed focused on Paige. "Care to add resisting arrest?" He reached to his belt and pulled a pair of handcuffs, shaking them out. "Hands, now." He ordered.

Paige's stomach dropped and her legs went weak with panic. "Why?" She asked desperately and heard mocking laughter behind her. She held trembling hands out to him and he slapped one bracelet around her left wrist. He hesitated at her cast but got the other locked around the narrowest space at her wrist. He gripped her by the upper arm hard and pulled her across the park toward the street,

"Way to go Davies!" The taunts began again. "Want us to help you bring her in?"

Paige twisted around to see the three men from the horseshoe game following along behind and her heart pounded in her chest as they taunted and made lewd gestures. The shortest distance to the street was straight through the picnic and Paige hung her head, humiliated, as the entire town stopped and stared at the ridiculous procession.

Davies quickened his pace and Paige hissed in pain as she struggled to keep up and he dragged her along, the metal cuffs biting into her wrist. Her eyes burned with unshed tears. Pain, fear and shame threatening to overwhelm her. She scanned the street as they approached the patrol car, searching frantically for Emily.

She was there across the street moving away from her and back to the car. Paige opened her mouth to call to her, her voice cut off with a cry of pain as Davies shoved her at his car. She got her hands out in front of her in time to stop herself from flopping onto the hood and braced herself as he pressed a hand between her shoulder blades and kicked her feet out wide.

"I hear them bull dykes like it rough." A disgusting voice taunted from behind her.

Paige began to tremble with fear and rage as Davies roughly ran his hands over her shoulders, down her sides, waist and down each leg in turn. Her back and side throbbed anew with the rough treatment and her breath came hard as she tried to manage the pain.

He jerked her up from the car and pain flared up her side, tears finally springing to her eyes as she cried out at the motion. Davies flung open the back door and guided her down by the head, pushing in her inside the car.

Paige folded in on herself, her arms tucked protectively over her middle and shrunk away from him against the opposite side of the car.

"That's for Russ!"

"Stupid Cunt!"

"Bitch is lucky the cops got her first!"

Paige covered her face with her hands at the disgusting words shouted at her from outside the car.

"Paige!" Emily shouted as she ran across the street.

Paige's head jerked up at the sound of Emily's voice and she twisted painfully around in the seat trying to see where she was. "Emily!" She cried, the sound of her voice was nearly her undoing.

Davies saw her coming and tensed, Russell Reardon's fan club watching her run across the road and whistled and catcalled at her. He was partly relieved he didn't have to go looking for her and anxious at what trouble her presence was going cause. Though he knew it looked far from it he was making every effort to get the McCullers woman out of there safely.

Emily skidded to a stop, her eyes darting frantically between Officer Davies, three men shouting abuses from the sidewalk and Paige looking pale and sick in the back of the patrol car. "What the hell is going on?" She demanded.

"Dr. Fields." Davies pinned her with a look he hoped conveyed his best intentions and urgency. "You need to come with me." He gestured to the back seat. "Please, get in the car."

"What is this?" Emily pleaded. "I don't understand what-"

"Dr. Fields, now." Davies commanded.

"Hey, Doc!" A man yelled, grabbing his crotch. "You can get in my back seat."

Emily shuddered, her jaw clenched in anger. She was beginning to think she understood what was happening and, even if she was wrong, Paige was in that car and she was not letting her out of her sight again. Heart pounding, she slid into the back of the car and Davies slammed the door.

"Paige, are you alright?" Emily turned to her. "What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry. I don't know." Paige's voice cracked with emotion. She shifted in her seat to turn to Emily, the cuffs clinking against each other. "I swear I don't know what happened. I was just-"

"Why are you in handcuffs?" Emily's eyes went wide in alarm as she looked at Paige and saw the fear, pain and confusion in her eyes. "Jesus, Paige, are you alright?"

Paige swallowed thickly and worked to control her breathing. She was losing it before and now, with Emily here loving her, getting angry for her, she was near falling apart. "Yeah." She breathed hard, nodding. "I'm okay, Em." She didn't want Emily getting in trouble for her.

Emily's jaw clenched and unclenched in rage as she gripped her fist around the chain between Paige's wrists. She shook her head angrily and spun toward the door, searching for the handle. "What the hell is this!" She yelled. There was no way to get out of the patrol car from the back.

"Emily, it's okay." Paige soothed. "I'm okay."

"Well, I'm damn well not!" Emily banged on the glass. Officer Davies was still speaking with the men outside. They were laughing about something that served to enrage her further. She pounded on the window again.

Davies heard the banging but chose to ignore it. He was not going to let these guys think he jumped at the whim of these women but he knew he'd have to leave in another minute. He faked a laugh at another offensive joke before getting behind the wheel.

Emily tore into him as soon as the door opened. "I demand to know what the charges are-"

"Quiet!" He barked and shut the door. He hit the lights but not the sirens as he pulled away from the park and headed toward the station.

* * *

**Now what? Keep reading.**


	23. Chapter 23

Officer Davies pulled through the parking lot at the station and around to the back out of view of the street. He put the car in park and killed the engine but made no move to get out. Emily watched him through the steel grate separating them, his shoulders tense and hands clenching and unclenching around the steering wheel. She looked at Paige. She was totally wiped out, eyes closed and face tight with pain as she rested her head against the window.

"We need to see Chief Holbrook." Emily stated as calmly as she could from the back seat. "Now."

Davies was silent for a few more moments. "He's not here." He answered quietly without turning around. "No one is here."

Emily's heart leapt in alarm and Paige picked up her head. "You need to let us out of this car." Emily demanded.

He spun around in his seat his expression shocking. Gone was the arrogant, competent officer and in his place a frightened, anxious young man. "Please, just let me explain." He blurted, scrubbing at his face and raking a hand through his sweaty hair causing it to stick up at odd angles making him look even younger. "Jesus, I don't even know where to start."

Emily looked to Paige who cocked an eyebrow at her in question. "You can start by giving me a key to unlock these handcuffs." Emily said coolly.

Davies blinked at her and snapped his head to Paige. "I'm sorry." He fumbled at his belt and they heard the jangling of keys before he slipped one through the grate to Emily. "I'm so sorry if I scared you and...Jesus...I never meant to hurt you..." He rambled.

Emily unlocked the cuffs from Paige, rubbing the chafed skin around her wrist. "Hurt you?" She looked Paige over again in alarm. "You said you were alright."

Paige, reflexively wrapped an arm across her middle as soon as her hands were free. "It's nothing." Her ribs ached ferociously. She lied not to protect Davies but to not worry Emily. It didn't matter and she wasn't fooling her.

Emily frowned and reached to cup Paige's cheek. "I got the prescription filled I can give you-."

"It's fine, Em." Paige forced a smile. "I'm okay."

Davies watched their exchange and, if possible, felt even worse. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry." He breathed. "Those men, they're Russell Reardon's drinking buddies and I saw them watching you. They're crazier than he is if that's possible and I wasn't at all sure they wouldn't go after you right in front of the whole town." He tried to explain. "I was trying to get you out of there without any trouble."

"And without looking weak in front of the town?" Paige said through gritted teeth.

Davies paled as Paige's comment hit home. He looked away. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"Forget it." Paige shook off his continued apologies. She didn't need to dwell on it and she didn't want to spend anymore time with this man than they had already. As far as she was concerned he was far from an innocent player in all of this. "We need to see Chief Holbrook. Do you know where he is?"

Davies nodded slowly. "He's arresting Craig Simpson on suspicion of murder in the death of Rachel Willis."

"Craig Simpson?" Emily repeated in disbelief. "Really?" She hadn't interacted at all with the young man but, from Paige's description he seemed the least likely killer, despite his history with Rachel Willis. Paige's expression told her she was surprised, too.

They glanced at each other. "We have some information that may be important to the investigation." Emily explained vaguely. "Can you radio the Chief and let him know we're here and need to speak with him?"

Officer Davies held her eyes for a moment before turning to Paige and, similarly, studying her. His eyes widened in sudden understanding, his mouth gaping in surprise. "You have the second copy of the video." He stated.

Ryan Davies had just as much to lose as anyone else if that video got out. Maybe more. He had a career in law enforcement. It would not go well for him if it was discovered he played a hand, however peripherally, in injuring Lily Grant. Chief Holbrook was after the wrong man.

Emily and Paige looked nervously at each other. "What makes you say that?" Paige asked, her voice steadier than it had any right to be.

Davies eyed her for a moment before leaning down across the front seat. There was a rustle of fabric before he straightened back up holding a beat up, faded, orange and gray backpack. "Because Rachel said she'd hidden it somewhere safe and it's not in here."

"Fuck you!." Paige yelled. "Open the fucking door you murdering piece of shit!" Paige went out of her mind, banging on the screen at Davies and throwing her shoulder at the door.

"Wait. What?" Davies replied, shocked. "I didn't..that's not what...I didn't kill Rachel…" He stammered.

"Paige, stop!" Emily cried, gripping her by the shoulder and pulling her away from the door. "Please, stop before you hurt yourself."

Paige panted and winced from her fruitless efforts to get out of the car, wrapping her arms around her middle again as her back and side protested her movement. "So you son of a bitch." She growled at Davies. "You've had that the whole time, haven't you?"

"Yes." Davies flushed red. "But I didn't kill her. Rachel was my friend. She asked me to meet her that night she got back to town. She needed me to help her get in to see Lily."

Paige sat back against the seat, not at all convinced but hurting too badly to continue to rage at him any longer and curious to hear what he had to say. "Why didn't you tell Chief Holbrook any of this?" Paige ground out.

"What makes you think I didn't?" Davies challenged a little of his arrogance flaring up.

"Because you wouldn't still be holding a key piece of evidence if you had." Emily countered, smoothly.

Davies' face reddened with guilt and embarrassment and he was quiet for a long time. "I was afraid of it getting out. I was afraid people would know what happened that day. They would blame me and I would lose my job." The scared kid was back again. "It was just supposed to be a joke. I didn't know Lily couldn't swim, I swear to God I didn't know. I tried to get to her but she went under and we couldn't find her. She was under for too long. We got her breathing again but…" His voice trailed off, cracking with emotion.

"What time did you see Rachel that night?" Paige asked. She needed to know if her timeline fit.

"We were supposed to meet at 9:00." Davies began. "But she was late. She didn't show up until after 10:00 on that junky bike with two half flat tires. I know now it was because her car broke down."

"Where?" Emily asked. "Where were you meeting her?"

"Just down the road from the home where Lily is." He pressed his lips together and shrugged. "What you just said to Lily in the park. You were right. Visiting hours end at 7:00 and, except for the overnight attendant the staff goes home at 9:00. Because of the wheelchair Lily has room on the ground floor. I had stopped by to see her earlier in the day and made sure the window was unlocked. It was easy enough to let Rach in later to see her."

"Were you in touch with her the whole time?" Emily asked.

"Well, yeah." Davies said, sheepishly. "I mean, not regularly but she asked me to keep an eye out for Lily and she knew how to get in touch with me."

"Where did she go after she left you?" Paige snapped. She had it with this man.

"She wouldn't tell me." He frowned and got agitated. "She said she had to take care of something and I knew she was in trouble. I knew it was about that video. She had a copy with her and she said there was another in a safe place. She asked me to keep her things for her until she got back. I begged her to let me go with her but she told me stay away, that I owed her and Lily and not to come."

"Jesus Christ!" Paige lunged at the screen again and banged her hands on it, making Davies jump back in alarm. "You knew this was about that video and you didn't say anything!" She screamed, sucking in a breath as pain flared up her side.

Davies paled and leaned away from the screen though there was no way she could get to him. "I thought...the Chief was already looking at them...I would have said…." He dropped his head in his hands and groaned as if in pain. "Oh, God."

"This is fucking ridiculous!" Paige blew out a slow breath and leaned back against the seat, her energy spent. "Why didn't you say anything? You're a fucking cop and your friend was murdered and your other friend nearly so."

Emily placed a calming hand on Paige's leg. She agreed it was all so unnecessary but she was inclined to believe Davies had not killed Rachel Willis and had tried, in a misguided way, to do right by them, though he was involved up to his eyeballs. What's done was done and what they needed to do now was get the information they had to Chief Holbrook. "Paige, easy." She soothed. "We can't change what's happened but we can do our best to make things right, now."

Davies hung his head, seemingly unable to act without guidance. His own mistakes haunting and paralyzing him. "What do I do?"

"You know you can't keep this a secret any more, right?" Emily asked gently.

"I know." Davies nodded, swallowing heavily. "That's why I'm telling you."

Paige breathed a laugh. "You do realize we're not the ones who you need to be telling all this?"

Davies frowned and looked hurt. "I thought you wanted to know what happened to Rachel."

"We do." Emily agreed. "But, more than anything, we want justice for Rachel."

"And Lily." Paige added.

Davies pursed his lips and turned around, facing back out the windshield. It was getting hot in the car and he turned the key, powering the car, and turned on the air. He remained facing away from them. "Craig and Danica alibied each other the night of Rachel's murder." He began.

Emily and Paige glanced at each other. "And you believed them?" Paige asked.

"I didn't want to." Davies shrugged. "But they have a known history and at least a dozen people saw them out drinking that night. They had started early and left the bar before midnight to, apparently, go crash at Danica's place or, rather, her mother's place." Davies sighed. "Councilwoman Long confirmed their arrival at the house before midnight."

"I don't understand." Emily said. "Why then is Chief Holbrook arresting Craig Simpson?"

"This morning we got an anonymous tip to check the maintenance shed at the cemetery. We got permission from the cemetery owner to search and didn't need a warrant. We found a rag with a blood pattern on it consistent with wiping the blade of a knife. Preliminary forensics say the blood is human though we won't have DNA back for for several days. The Chief questioned Danica again, went after her hard, and she broke down, said she passed out in another room and didn't know if Craig was there all night. He came home with her and he was there when she woke up in the morning but, beyond that, she couldn't swear to his presence. It was enough for the Chief to secure a warrant." Davies detailed.

Paige stared out the window. "So, you think Craig wasn't as drunk as he seemed, got up after Danica passed out and met with Rachel leading to her murder?" She summed up.

Davies was silent a long time. "No." The leather of his belt creaked as he turned to face them again. "I think it was Danica."

The car was silent and, while they had been talking the sun had set without a sound, casting dark shadows across them all as they stared at each other.

They all jumped as the radio crackled to life with the Chief's voice. "_Officer Davies, what is your location? Over."_

Davies stared at the radio as if seeing it for the first time.

"_Davies, please, respond. What is your location? Over." _The Chief called impatiently.

"Did you need me to get that?" Paige snarked, unsympathetically.

Davies glared at her and snatched up the handset speaker, rolling it in his hand, nervously. "Say again, Chief. Over." He stalled for a few more seconds.

"_What is your location? Over." _The crackling did nothing to diminish the Chief's anger.

Davies winced. He had no idea where the Chief was and was one wrong word away from getting caught in a lie, which really didn't matter much at this point. "Just leaving the park now, Chief. Over."

The radio was silent for several moments. "_The suspect has not been located. I repeat I do not have a location on Craig Simpson. Over."_

Davies eyes went wide and he glanced at the women in the back, alarmed. "Where do you want me, Chief?"

"_Flynn is sweeping the town and Waterhouse is heading out to the quarry to supervise the people. We're spread thin but I need you out at the quarry, too, at the waterline. It's too late to stop the fireworks and trying to send everyone home now will cause panic but I need to cut it short. Tell the boys on the dock. Over."_ Came his orders.

"Roger that." Davies replied. "Where will you be, Chief? Over."

"_Heading to the Long residence now for a search then to the quarry. Over and out."_

No one spoke in the car for several long breaths. Paige chewed her lip, shaking her head in disbelief as she tried to wrap her head around all that they'd learned and everything that was happening. Her eyes flicked to Emily who sat with her hands steepled in front of her mouth, eyes closed as she breathed slowly. Paige thought she might actually be meditating.

Paige couldn't let it go and she couldn't find any peace with any of it. She envied Emily's calm. "If you knew that we didn't have anything to do with what happened to Rachel and you even had a pretty good idea who did, then why…" She shook her head and took several deep breaths to keep her voice steady. "...why did you treat us like shit? You all but accused me of having something to do with Rachel's death. I mean, what the fuck?"

Davies frowned and looked anywhere but at Paige.

"Answer me, Goddamnit!" Paige banged on the screen making Emily jump.

"I can't." He whispered. "I don't...I don't know...but as long as you were here and as long as I could convince myself that there was some other possible explanation then...then I didn't... " Davies trailed off.

"Then you didn't have to be responsible?" Paige finished for him. "Fucking bullshit."

"Paige." Emily gripped her hand. Paige's anger was palpable. Please, let's just get through this."

Davies eyed her sadly and opened the door and stepped out of the car, finally. He opened Emily's door and held it, waiting. "If you want to leave the video with me, I assure you, I will see it gets to Chief Holbrook."

Paige looked to Emily, searching her eyes. She looked exhausted, sad and confused but no less determined to find the answers. Paige reached for Emily's hand and Emily clasped hers with both hands, squeezing tightly and giving Paige a sharp nod of agreement.

Paige leaned across Emily to look up at Davies. "No way." She stated. "We're going to finish this."

Davies pursed his lips, considering before giving a sharp nod and closing the door

* * *

**Let me hear you say denouement!**


	24. Chapter 24

The road to the quarry was jammed with cars of people, pick up trucks full of drunk kids in the bed, an actual tractor pulling a wagon load of partiers who had somehow managed to light a bonfire in the wagon and who were hurling empty beers cans and cups over the side as they made the slow climb.

They were forced to stop for a couple of kids on skateboards who had been hanging on to the back of a truck when one of them flew off the road into the culvert and disappeared.

"Is it always like this?" Emily sighed as Davies flicked on his lights and pulled to the side of the road to help the kids.

"It's a small town." Davies shrugged. "We have to take our excitement where we can get it." He offered.

"Let me out." Emily said, sitting forward. "I can help."

Davies pulled a small first aid kit from under the passenger seat. "I'll get you if I need anything." He jumped out of the car and headed towards the kids who appeared to be laughing too hard for anything to be seriously wrong.

Emily sat back against the seat with a sigh, rolling her head to look at Paige. She had been quiet since they had left the police station, again sitting against the door with her head pressed against the glass, arms wrapped around her middle. "Are you alright?" Emily placed a hand on her arm.

Paige swallowed, hard a few times and nodded. "Yeah, I guess." She let her eyes slide closed. "No, not really."

Emily slid across the seat and Paige let herself be pulled into her strong embrace, her arms wrapping tightly around her. Her breath hitched as she buried her face in the crook of Emily's neck and breathed her in, letting herself relax and feel safe. "Thank you for being here." She murmurred.

Emily tightened her hold around her. "There's no where I'd rather be."

Paige breathed a laugh. "Liar."

"I can't help but notice we have the back seat of a police car all to ourselves." Emily whispered as he stroked her hand through Paige's hair. "Any ideas how we could pass the time?" She felt Paige smile and Emily's heart lifted that she could lighten her spirit a little.

"Dr. Fields, you scandalize me." Paige joked and slid her hand across Emily's leg, dangerously high.

Emily tensed, her body responding to the touch. "Paige, I was kidding." She hissed, nervously.

"Oh, sorry." Paige stilled her hand and pulled away from her slightly to look at her. "I never know with you." Her eyes flashing.

Emily fought a smile. "How do you feel?" She asked to change the subject. "Physically."

Paige's brief good humor disappeared, her lips pressing together in a thin line. "Like I got my ass handed to me yesterday." She lifted her shirt for affect. The bruises on her pale skin were dark and angry and the soft tissue swollen. "Like we've been jerked around for days by a bunch of dick swinging, yahoos who couldn't find their asses with both hands."

Emily winced, sucking in a breath as she got a look at Paige's injuries again. She pressed the flat of her hand, gently against her skin, warm with inflammation. "I don't like the look of that." She frowned and walked her fingers over Paige's ribs unconvinced there weren't fractures somewhere.

"Ah, damn!" Paige flinched at the pressure. "That flash was just for dramatic flare. I didn't mean to poke the doctor."

"As soon as we're done here and we get to Colorado Springs or wherever we're going for an x-ray." She pinned Paige with a look. It really wouldn't change anything but they'd know for sure.

"Yeah." Paige sighed, lowering her shirt. "Yeah, okay."

Emily blinked at Paige's quick agreement. She must be feeling pretty poorly not to put up any kind of a fight about a trip to the hospital.

Before Emily could speak again Davies was back and dropping down behind the wheel. "Idiot kids." He grumbled.

Paige snorted her contempt for his judgement. "You'd know."

Emily gripped Paige's leg, squeezing gently in an effort to get Paige not to antagonize him. "Was everyone okay?" She asked.

Davies met her eyes in the rear view mirror. "More or less and the fools insisted on going on so I got them a proper ride."

Emily nodded. The night had darkened and cars, trucks, the odd dirt bike and cyclist had continued to trickle past as they waited. Davies left the lights flashing as he pulled back out onto the road and headed up to the quarry.

Cars and trucks were lined up remarkably ordered looking, like they had all just pulled into the drive in, the first row well back from the edge of the quarry. The booze continued to flow as folks climbed on hoods and roofs, stood in the back of cabs or lounged on blankets and lawn chairs as they waited for the fireworks to begin.

Davies took the right hand fork and stopped at the patrol car barricading the lane heading down to the water. He rolled down his window. "Any sign of Simpson?"

The man behind the wheel, Waterhouse Emily presumed, shook his head. "I'm going to sweep through the crowd now that you're here." He eyed Emily and Paige in the back seat and looked a question to Davies.

"They're here to speak with the Chief." He answered. "Just keeping an eye on them until he gets here."

His mouth curled up, unkindly and he stared pointedly into the back. "Don't forget to keep your _eyes_ out for Simpson."

Davies bristled. "What the hell does that mean?"

Waterhouse barked a laugh. "Just do your job, Davies, and keep the distractions to a minimum." He walked off.

Paige didn't even try to smother a humorless laugh. "What comes around goes around, huh, Davies?"

Davies spun in the seat, glaring at Paige. "Listen-"

"Enough!." Emily snapped, cutting him off, one hand going to the grate between them. "We're on the same side here." She looked hopefully at Paige, imploring her to keep her temper in check. "And I refuse to be the only one with their head screwed on straight so, both of you, pull yourselves together." She looked between them, eyebrows raised expectantly.

Davies jaw snapped shut with a click and he gave a sharp nod before turning back around and heading down to the bottom.

Paige sighed, deeply, letting her head fall back against the seat and closing her eyes. "Fuck." She raked her hands through her hair. "Jesus, Em, I feel like I'm losing my mind here."

"I know, honey." she turned to Paige and cupped her cheek, brushing her thumb gently across her bruised skin. "Hang in there for a little while longer. We're almost done."

Paige took a deep breath and opened her eyes meeting Emily's loving gaze and taking strength from her. "You have no idea how much I want to believe that."

Davies skillfully guided the car down the steep gravel switchbacks to the bottom of the quarry crunching slowly to a stop on the gravel bottom at least twenty yards from the waterline where the rocks steadily increased in size.

Davies left the lights on, stepping out of the car. Emily watched, anxiously, as he hesitated for a brief moment before opening her door. She breathed a slow sigh of relief and gripped Paige's hand. As much as she needed out she thought Paige might come completely unravelled if they were trapped in there any longer.

Emily unfolded herself from the back seat and reached to help Paige who moved stiffly, in obvious pain. She steadied her and encouraged her to lean against the car for support as she found her footing. "Okay?" She asked, looking her over.

Paige grimaced and straightened as best she could, her injuries protesting the effort. "Yeah." She said tightly, tucking her left arm to her side for support. She eyed the beat up red Ford pick up parked a few yards away and watched as Davies headed that way. He picked up a walkie talkie dangling from the side mirror and began speaking. She couldn't make out what he was saying but she heard loud guffaws coming from farther away. She searched for the origin and she could just make out movement on the raft lit by dim lantern light. She assumed Davies was conversing with the men setting up the fireworks. The radio system seemed a well established system.

There was really nothing to do but wait, for now and Emily caught up to Paige and slipped her arms around her. She needed to feel her. She was keeping it together only outwardly. She felt Paige tense in her embrace. "Did I hurt you?" Emily pulled away slightly.

"No." Paige swallowed thickly and looked away, unable to meet Emily's eyes.

"Paige?" Emily frowned, catching Paige's chin in her hand and turning her back to face her. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Paige shook her head and slid her arms around Emily's waist. "I'm fine." She tried to cover but Emily was already on her, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Don't you dare shut me out right now." She said gently. Paige pulled free of her embrace and Emily, reluctantly, let her go sensing she needed space for whatever she was working through in her head.

Paige paced along the car, staggering slightly on the uneven ground, her hand on the hood to steady herself. "It wasn't supposed to be like this." She began, desperately. "This was our trip, our time. It should be safe and loving and affirming and fucking hilarious..." She was getting wound up and gestured wildly in frustration, ending in a grunt of pain, her arm shooting to her side. "...and instead it's this...this... bullshit and you just seeing me at my worst day after day-"

"Paige, stop." Emily had been biting her tongue up until now to keep from interrupting but this was too much. Emily shook her head. "If this is your worst, Paige- strong, courageous and compassionate- then I'll take this any day. I agree, this isn't what we planned but it never is and this doesn't change anything especially not the way I feel about you." Emily insisted.

"How can it not?" Paige shook her head. "Since we met it's been nothing but drugs, many of them mine, blood shed, betrayal and murder."

Emily pressed her lips together and fought a smile at Paige's words. It was all true and Paige was so earnest but, honestly, Emily couldn't imagine it any other way.

"I mean, we're one fucking act of violence away from being a Game of Thrones episode." Paige blurted.

Emily did laugh now, closing the distance between them to stop her pacing and slip her arms around her waist again. "Paige, honey, where is this coming from?"

"Don't you know?" Paige sighed. "Relationships that start under intense circumstances, they never last."

"What?" Emily dropped her hands and stepped back, her mouth dropping open in shock at what she just heard. "You did not just quote _Speed_ at me."

"Ahh, shit, you know that one." Paige winced and dipped her head. "You must think I'm such a fucking lunatic."

Emily smiled. "I don't think that, Paige. Not even close. Not even for a second." She didn't know whether to laugh or not. She slipped her arms again around Paige's waist again and covered her mouth with her own, moving against her until she felt her relax and sigh, deepening their kiss. "You know." She said around Paige's mouth. "We could always be one act of indecency in the hospital elevator away from a Grey's Anatomy episode?"

Paige laughed into their kiss and groaned, hunching sideways. "Shit, don't make me laugh."

They both looked up as the first small missiles streaked through the night sky with a high pitched whistling sound before exploding overhead in a shower of red, yellow and blue sparks, the thundering boom echoing throughout the quarry.

"Fireworks when we kiss." Emily's eyes flashed with merriment as she gazed adoringly at Paige. "How can you argue with that?"

"Jesus, Fields." Paige teased, eyes dancing. "Why does everything have to be about sex with you?" She blew out a loud breath. "Boring."


	25. Chapter 25

Davies remained near the shore, pacing back and forth and barking into the radio. Whatever he was saying to try and get them to stop the show was having little effect and fireworks continued to explode overhead, raining down light showers over the quarry.

"Where the hell is Holbrook?" Paige muttered.

Emily slipped her arm around Paige's shoulders and she could feel the tension in her. She was strung tight and getting more anxious by the second.

"He'll be here." Emily assured her. "It hasn't been that long." She looked out to the dock as there was a break in the display. It was dark after all the lights and the cheering from the crowd up top seemed especially loud without any other noise. "Listen, there's something else I need to tell you."

Paige turned to her, curious. "About us?"

Emily shook her head. "I ran into Julia Long at the pharmacy when I was-" There was a small flash of light off to her right and Emily jerked her eyes to it but it was already gone. She focused on the jetty, stretching out darkly into the water and imagined she could see movement. And there, a small glow, flashing, then gone again. Someone was out there. Smoking. Emily jerked up straight, peering out into the night.

"Em?" Paige frowned at her.

"There's someone out there." Emily replied, not taking her eyes off the shadowy figure. The fireworks began again but not enough to illuminate the person fully.

Paige followed Emily's gaze and scanned the jetty until she, too, saw the movement. "Shit." She breathed. "You don't think that's-"

"I don't know." Emily stopped her. She didn't want to speculate but she couldn't ignore the prickle of apprehension and the hammering of her heart. "Stay here." She moved off the car toward the water and Officer Davies.

"What?" Paige jerked in surprise. "No, I'm going-"

"Paige!" Emily hissed under her breath as she whirled around, her eyes boring into her. "Please, just stay here."

"But…" Paige bit down on her next words when she saw the look in Emily's eyes. Anger and frustration, with her, Paige had no doubt. Underneath, though, was worry and fear and Paige knew, as well, it was for her. She wouldn't put Emily through any more. "Yeah, okay." She finished.

Emily pressed her lips together tightly, swallowing around the tightness in her throat. She was torn. She knew Paige would do as she asked but didn't ever want to control Paige or restrict her in any way. She would never, if she could help it, take advantage of Paige's feelings for her. Paige was fiery and passionate which is one of the reasons Emily loved her so much but that same passion lead her to recklessness which is why they needed a trip to the clinic now. Emily couldn't, at the moment, reconcile her conflicting emotions but her first priority was that Paige be safe. She would have to examine her feelings about it later. "Thank you." She whispered before moving off.

Emily crossed over the rocky ground quickly, catching up to Officer Davies and his frantic waterline pacing. "There's something you need to see." She ventured.

He jerked, startled out of his agitation. "What?" He blurted.

Emily lowered her voice, instinctually, though there was no way they could be heard over the boom and sizzle of the fireworks display. "There's someone out on the jetty. About halfway down. They were smoking a few minutes ago."

Davies frowned, his head jerking up and his eyes tracking back and forth along the jetty. Emily could see the moment he spotted the person as his eyes widened.

"Can you tell who it is?" She asked.

He ignored her and headed, his right hand resting on the butt of his sidearm, toward the base of the jetty. Emily followed him, her heart speeding up as he climbed up on the rocks, pulling a flashlight from his belt and shining toward the individual.

The light wasn't powerful enough to identify the person but they could see movement. Another flick of the lighter and now the unmistakable smell of cigarette smoke. There was a rustle of movement and Davies jumped back, throwing a protective arm in front of Emily as a small object hurtled out of the darkness.

A can of beer exploded on the rocks in front of them, showering them with beer, followed by a cackle of laughter. "Don't come any closer, Ry." A voice slurred from the jetty. There was pop of a can and the guzzle of liquid between breaks in the fireworks. "There's plenty more where that came from." He laughed again.

Davies frowned and gripped the radio handset clipped at his shoulder. "Dispatch, this is Davies. I have the suspect in sight and am requesting back up at the waterline at the quarry. Over."

There was a crackle of static as the radio came to life. "_Standby, Davies. Dispatch out."_

Emily eyed Davies, and took a step back from the end of the jetty. She didn't want to be that close to whatever was going to happen. She looked back to Paige who was pacing back and forth in front of the car, looking worried.

Davies took a couple steps out toward Craig Simpson. "Hey, man. How are you feeling? Are you okay?" He offered in his best casual voice

There was a long moment of silence. Emily could see the tip of Craig Simpson's cigarette glowing fiercely in the night.

"They think I killed Rachel." Came the shaky reply.

"I know, man." Davies said. "Why don't you come in with me and we'll talk about it?"

"Do _you_ think I killed Rachel?" He sobbed.

Before Davies could answer his radio crackled to life again. "_Davies, this is the Chief. Flynn and I are twenty minutes out. Waterhouse has his hands full with a fight up top. Situation report. Over."_

Davies sighed. "It's under control, Chief. Over."

"_Is Simpson in custody? Over._"

Davies grimaced and huffed out a breath. "He will be, Chief. Davies out." Davies reached to his belt for his handcuffs and came up empty. His eyes closed and he dropped his head as he realized they were in the back seat of the car.

"You gonna bring me in, Ry?" Craig called.

Davies sucked in a breath and straightened before he headed out toward him. "Don't make this harder than it is, Craig, please."

Paige paced back and forth in front of the car as she watched Emily and Davies at the end of the jetty, Davies talking to who she assumed was Craig Simpson. She was just about to head toward them and find out what was going on when the crunch of a car on gravel caught her ear. She gazed up at the road and saw headlights winding their way down the road to the bottom. "Finally." She muttered to herself assuming Holbrook had finally decided to put in an appearance.

A slick black Lexus RX rolled to a stop several yards away. Paige's mouth gaped as Julia and Danica Long stepped out of the car. "Oh, Christ, here we go." Paige said loudly enough for them to hear.

Julia Long's face, when she looked over, was icy, while Danica Long's eyes darted around, looking overwhelmed and nervous, her eyes resting for a moment on Paige without a hint of recognition. Julia Long stalked off toward the jetty with her daughter stumbling quickly behind to catch up.

"Oh, hell no." Paige muttered and pushed off from the car heading after them.

Paige caught up with all the players as the women stood at the end of the jetty, the smell of sulfur filled the air as ash and sparks from the fireworks rained down over them. Emily was rigid with tension and grateful Paige didn't choose to remain by the car as their hands met, fingers lacing tightly together.

Councilwoman Long stood, straight and, seemingly, unconcerned as her cool gaze drifted over Paige and Emily in turn, flicked to her daughter, who stood hugging herself and shifting nervously from foot to foot, before finally settling out toward the jetty and the bobbing flashlight that was Officer Davies.

The charged air was almost more than Paige could stand and she clenched her jaw to keep from screaming with anticipation and dread for the real fireworks to begin. She didn't have to wait long.

Davies and Craig Simpson wobbled and teetered toward the beach, Davies trying to hold the flashlight and a clearly drunk Craig steady over the large, irregular rocks. Finally, they stumbled off onto the ground.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Dani?" Craig slurred angrily as he righted himself. "Come to survey your handiwork?"

"You shouldn't be here, Councilwoman." Davies added, adjusting his grip on Craig's upper arm as he holstered his flashlight next to Craig's sheathed knife tucked into his belt "This is a police matter."

"Indeed." Julia replied. "And I've come down here to see Chief Holbrook and ensure this investigation and arrest of a killer is handled safely and competently." She eyed Davies and the swaying Craig Simpson. "It looks like I arrived just in time. Why isn't this man in handcuffs? Did you even read him his rights?" She barked. "It's a wonder you even managed to disarm him."

Davies blanched. "I assure you, Ma'am-"

"I will not have you treating a killer with kid gloves because you're school buddies!" Julia Long railed at him. "This is my town-"

"But you'll have one living under your roof?" Craig snickered and fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette, lighting it and blowing a plume of smoke toward Danica.

Danica snapped out of her daze at the accusation. "Fuck you, Craig!" She spat. "I would never hurt Rachel!"

"We all know what you did and she had the proof, right?" He jabbed a finger at her. "So, you took her out and now you're setting me up!"

Paige gripped Emily's hand hand as the temperature in the air rose another degree. This was going to end badly. She was torn between pulling Emily out of there and seeing if there was something she could do to help. Her eyes flicked to Emily who stood, eyes narrowed and fixed on Juila Long.

Davies pulled Craig along toward the car, really wishing he had those handcuffs. "Craig Simpson, you are under arrest for the murder of Rachel Willis. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney…"

Craig resisted against Davies pull and turned back toward Danica, ignoring Davies. "Do you really think I wouldn't have cleaned my knife when I heard they were coming for me?" He laughed maniacally, spittle flying from his mouth. "I dropped that shit in so much bleach. Anyone could have put that bloody rag in the shed. You'll never get away with pinning this on me." His anger was sobering him and his speech was getting clearer.

"Check the sheath." Julia Long said evenly.

Craig Simpson jerked to stop and Davies stopped with him. Both of them turning, open mouthed to stare at the woman. "What?" Craig blurted.

"I'm not that familiar with forensics but, I imagine, you'll find the evidence you're looking for in the knife sheath." Julia Long crossed her arms across her chest, her face expressionless but her eyes flashed in triumph.

Paige blew out a silent breath, beginning to understand Emily's careful scrutiny of her, and couldn't help but fan the flames. "But you two were together the night of Rachel's murder, right?"

"Yes!" Craig screamed in rage as Davies pulled him along again. "You were there, you know I didn't go out again!"

"I don't know anything!" Danica moved to catch up to him and scream back at him. "I went up to my room." She gestured to her mother. "Mom saw me on her way out!"

Time stopped and Paige sucked in a breath, Emily's grip turning viselike in her hand, as Julia Long visibly paled and Davies stared, blinking in shocked confusion at the Councilwoman. Fireworks boomed overhead as from the dock was launched the finale and the water line was lit up with a cacophony of light and sound

Craig Simpson, lost in his own fear and anger, missed the significance of the statement and took advantage of Davies' distraction, breaking free of his grip and lunging for Danica with a snarl of rage. "You bitch!"

They met in a tangle of limbs with shrieks or fury as Craig got his hands around Danica's throat and she her nails down his face and neck. Davies, Julia Long and Emily leapt toward them, pulling arms apart and dodging kicking feet as as colored sparks showered around them, the crowd roared from up top and the quarry walls echoed with explosions.

Paige's heart pounded in her chest at the fray, her eyes jerking to the road as the red and blue lights of two cruisers winding their way down the road added to the display.

Finally, Julia Long pulled her daughter away, both of them gasping for breath. Davies got Craig in an arm lock and dragged him back, still spitting and screaming his rage. Emily stood in the middle, arms out to each side, like a referee in a boxing ring sending the fighters to their corners. All of them oblivious to the empty knife sheath at Davies' utility belt.

Paige looked Emily over. She was dishevelled, chest heaving as she sucked in air, but unhurt. Her gaze moved to Julia Long, her shirt drooping and exposing the skin of her shoulders and arms. Fading bruises and healing scratches clearly visible on her pale skin.

The penny dropped. Paige stepped toward her, eyes wide. "Defensive wounds." She whispered.

Julia Long shook her head slowly as she straightened her shirt with one hand. "You stupid, stupid girl." She sighed, eyeing her daughter.

"Mom?" Danica asked, panic and confusion wavering her voice as she turned to her mother.

"You selfish, ungrateful, wicked little monster." Julia Long's voice dripped with venom as she moved her arm from behind her back and in her hand glinted the metal of a blade. "I should have put you out of my misery years ago."

Paige's heart stopped and what happened next happened so fast none of them would remember clearly. She moved toward Emily on instinct, sensing Julia Long's intentions.

"Put the knife down!" Davies bellowed, releasing Craig Simpson with a shove to the side and pulling his sidearm.

"No!" Emily cried and lunged to wrap her arms around Danica Long as Julia Long leapt for them both with an inhuman screech.

Paige, fueled by adrenaline and terror closed the distance between them in two strides and threw her shoulder into Emily, swinging her right arm out to fend off the Councilwoman as she swung the knife, indiscriminately, down on them all and a gunshot exploded, its report echoing off the quarry walls.


	26. Chapter 26

Emily struggled to breathe as the air whooshed from her lungs as she hit the rocky ground next to Danica. She blinked up at the night sky and heard shouts, car doors, slamming and the sound of booted feet crunching all around her as colored lights lit up the waterline.

She was unhurt, she decided, and pushed herself up against a warm body next to her. Danica Long lay curled on her side, shaking with loud sobs. "Danica, are you hurt?" Emily's professional facade slammed into place pushing aside all other emotions. She ran her hands over the woman's body, checking for injuries. She found no wounds or blood. "Talk to me? Are you injured?" She asked again firmly.

Danica Long, shook her head, but made no move to get up. She remained crying where she lay as an officer, Waterhouse, she thought moved toward her to help Danica from the ground.

Emily sat up and saw Chief Holbrook and, she guessed, Flynn, crouched around the body of Julia Long pressing against a wound in her shoulder. There was a lot of blood but the woman was moving and protesting loudly at her treatment. Emily had no sympathy for her.

"Paige?" Emily's head swivelled until she found her, huddled on her knees some distance away, bent double, her arms wrapped tightly around her middle. "Oh, my God, Paige!" Emily jumped to her feet and rushed to her side, dropping to the ground next to her.

"Please, don't be mad." Paige rocked back and forth, hunched in on herself. "Please, don't be mad."

"Paige, where are you hurt?" Emily pulled her gently to get her to straighten, assuming she had damaged her ribs further. "You need to show me, honey."

"I'm sorry." Paige mumbled. "I'm sorry." She unfolded herself and sat back on her heels.

"Oh, Jesus." Emily sucked in a breath when she saw the knife embedded to the hilt through Paige's cast arm only a couple of inches from the end of the fiberglass near her elbow. "Okay, it's okay." She took Paige's arm and lifted it gently to see the point protruding out the other side and blood streaming out from beneath the cast, down her arm and dripping off her elbow. "It's not through the center." She wriggled her finger gently into the cast stopping when she felt the blade. "Okay, good." She breathed. "It's just caught the lateral edge. Just through skin and muscle, I think, not bone and you're not bleeding badly enough for it to have nicked a vessel." She smiled, reassuringly.

"Oh, fuck it hurts." Paige ground out and reached for the hilt. "Take it out."

"No." Emily grabbed her hand before she could touch it. "You can't remove it." She said firmly, gripping Paige's left hand tightly. "Look at me." She waited for Paige to meet her eyes, they were dark and unfocused. "I know it hurts but you can't take it out. You could do more damage. Please, trust me, honey." Emily stripped off her shirt down to her tank top and tied it firmly around Paige's arm at the elbow to try and slow the blood flow.

"What can I do?" A shaky voice asked from above them.

Emily looked up to see Davies standing over them, wild eyed and breathing heavily. "We need to get her to the clinic." Emily commanded. "Help me get her up."

Davies, now with something to do, steadied himself and helped Emily lift Paige to her feet, her right arm cradled in her left, and hunched over as she struggled to breathe. "The Chief has already called them to let them know we're coming. They're always open all night on nights like this. An ambulance will be meeting us there to take Councilwoman Long to the hospital. We can call another one for you or..." He grimaced. "...you could ride together."

Paige glared at him, too out of breath to let him know what she really thought of that idea.

"How is the Councilwoman?" Emily asked as she helped steady Paige to the car.

"The bullet went through her right shoulder." Davies opened the door and helped guide Paige into the back seat. "She should be fine."

"Can't you fucking do anything right?" Paige said through gritted teeth as Emily slid in next to her.

* * *

"How are you doing?" Emily stood next to Paige's bed and brushed the hair off her face. She was in the clinic which was slammed from the festivities. Burns from exploded fireworks, blunt trauma injuries from a brawl at the quarry, two fender benders and several alcohol poisonings. The nurses and staff were already run off their feet and the only doctor on tonight was stabilizing Julia Long for transport.

Paige blinked several times in an effort to focus on Emily's face. "...um...m' good." She slurred, a demerol and antibiotic cocktail working it's way through her system.

"Here he is." Emily looked up as someone entered the room. "Paige, this is Eddie. He's the nurse that's going to cut your cast off." Emily spoke slowly and clearly so Paige would understand what was happening. "We need you to hold really still, okay?" Emily gripped her right hand gently and upper arm, resting propped on a stack of pillows covered with green surgical towels. "I'm going to help you."

"Sounds...fun…" Paige mumbled, her eyes drifting closed.

Eddie gripped a small handheld cast saw with a circular blade and switched it on. The vibration and noise roused Paige and she eyed the tool. "Looks like...as bone saw." She observed with a lopsided smile.

"Go all the way down medially." Emily directed and watched carefully, her gaze flicking between the saw and Paige. "Good, now lateral on the other side of the blade." The saw whined as it ground through the material. When he was all the way through both sides Emily shifted her left hand to the knife hilt to steady the blade and nodded for him to crack the cast off.

The pieces fell away with only the strip of fiberglass the knife was embedded in and a gauze sleeve along Paige's arm. Eddie snipped away the gauze with scissors and Emily could finally get a look at what she was dealing with. There was a lot of swelling and inflammation around the wound but the large dose of antibiotics should help with combating infection.

She palpated around the entry site and Paige's eyes flew open again "Fuck…" She breathed, her arm jerking.

"Okay." Emily soothed. "I'm sorry." She chewed her lip as she did some mental math. "I need 200 mg of lidocaine."

Eddie's eyes went wide. "What are you going to do?"

Emily blinked at him. "I'm going to anesthetize her arm, take the knife out and stitch her up."

Eddie looked uncertainly at Emily then Paige then back to Emily. "Shouldn't you wait for a doctor?"

"I am a doctor." Emily said evenly her gaze never wavering.

Paige breathed a small laugh. "You tell him, Dr. Fields."

Eddie hesitated still and Emily was losing her patience. "Go check with your boss, then Chief Holbrook if you need to then get back here fast get me what I asked. Lidocaine and a sterile suture kit, a bedside table or tray to work on, an evidence bag for the knife, something moldable and removable that I can recast her hand with and an immobilizing sling." She pinned him with a look. "Please." She added gently.

He considered for another moment then gave a sharp nod before disappearing out the door.

Emily raked the hand that wasn't holding the knife still through her hair and blew out her breath. She hated having to play the heavy I'm the doctor and you're not attitude, especially in a strange place and she really didn't have grounds to be demanding as she wasn't licensed in Colorado, but her temper was running very short and treating Paige was her first priority. Considering the circumstances she was hoping no one was going to give her too much trouble over it.

"That was fucking hot." Paige grinned goofily at her.

Emily breathed a laugh, returning her grin. "You're high." Emily hooked a nearby chair with her foot and slid it over so she could sit down. She didn't know how long they would be waiting and, as the adrenaline dissipated she was feeling the effects of the day.

Paige blinked slowly, trying to stay present so she could talk to her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Emily fought a smile and shook her head. "Paige, what you did-"

"I know." Paige sighed, swallowing thickly, she didn't want to be scolded again. "Reckless, thoughtless...assholish…"

"No, honey, not this time." Emily's smile widened. "Paige, you were-"

Before Emily could say more Eddie returned wheeling a cart of everything Emily had asked for and then some. She rose, bending to kiss Paige gently on the lips. "Time to go to work."

* * *

Paige blinked in the warm sunlight, her eyelids still heavy and uncooperative. She focused, finally, and took in her surroundings. She was back at Ms. Fulton's without any memory of how she got there. She frowned, trying to put the pieces together but there were huge gaps. Probably of Emily ripping the knife out of her arm and that she probably didn't want to remember.

She flung the sheet off of her and took physical stock of herself. She was wearing a nightshirt only. Her right arm was in a black sling with a velcro strap across her shoulder and another around her waist keeping her arm against her body. She peered into the sling to see her right hand and wrist were in a purple, molded cast that laced up the inside of her wrist. Beyond that was thick white gauze bandages from just under the cast to her elbow. She could feel the heat and burning of the wound. She wiggled her fingers and felt that everything was still working as it should.

She rolled to the edge of the bed and pushed herself up gasping as pain lanced across her ribs and back. "Oh, yeah…" She groaned remembering tackling Emily and Danica Long to the ground before getting her arm skewered. She panted at the edge of the bed for a few breaths before noticing the bedside table carefully arranged with a single rose in a vase, a glass of water with a note next to it and a small dish with three different tablets on it.

Paige read the note aloud simply to try out her voice. "I had to go out for a while. I'll be back before dinner. Take these when you wake up. Antibiotic, anti inflammatory and pain meds. Do not get bandages wet. I love you. Em." Paige shrugged and dropped the note on the table before scooping the tabs off the plate into her mouth and chasing it with water.

A glance at the clock told her it was just after three in the afternoon, she assumed, July 4th. She didn't know what before dinner meant exactly but she felt grubby and sore and nothing but a bath would help that.

Paige sank in the neck deep soapy water, her arm out of the sling and draped carefully over the side. She had barely closed her eyes after a solid dunking when her eyes jerked open at a soft knock at the bathroom door. "Yeah?"

"Paige, it's Eleanor." The concerned voice came through. "I heard the water and wanted to make sure you were alright."

Paige relaxed again at the familiar voice. "Yeah, thanks, I'm okay, all things considered."

"Emily called a few minutes ago and she's just a half hour away. She would have been back sooner but there was traffic coming out of Denver." Eleanor explained. "If you need anything just yell." She added.

"Okay." Paige called absently as she heard the bedroom door close behind her. "Wait! Denver?" Eleanor's words catching up to her finally.

Paige stayed in the bath for as long as she could stand it soaking some of the soreness out of her and scrubbing away the grime.

Halfway through the debacle that was her attempt at getting dressed she heard the front door bang open so hard the floor shook, followed by thumping footsteps up the stairs. Emily would help her finish.

She stood, one arm through her t-shirt and her jeans up but unbuttoned when the door to their room banged open and the last person she expected to see stood scowling at her. "Hanna?" She blurted.

"What. The. Fuck. McCullers?" Hanna looked her over, taking in her cast arm, bandages, bruises and general fucked up-ness. "I can't even." She snapped and shook her head as she stalked across the room and helped Paige the rest of the way into her shirt before buttoning her fly for her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Paige gaped at her as Hanna shook out her sling and adjusted the straps across her shoulder and eased her arm into it before snugging the waist strap around her.

Hanna stood back and surveyed her work. "Rescuing you, it looks like." Hanna clucked her tongue. "Or, maybe more accurately, rescuing Emily. What have you done to that poor woman that she needs to call in reinforcements?" Hanna laughed.

Paige stood dumbfounded, her brain unable to catch up with her eyes. She didn't know whether to be happy to see her friend or suspicious or angry. "Where's Emily?"

"Here." Emily gasped, as she lugged a large suitcase up the stairs. "What do you have in this thing, Hanna?" She let it thunk to the ground. "It's really heavy."

Hanna crossed her arms in a huff. "Books, thank you very much. I'm in the middle of prepping for my comps and I get a call from this madwoman…" She gestured to Emily. "...who asks if can drop everything and fly to Colorado because this madwoman…" She gestured to Paige. "...has gone and got herself nearly beheaded or eviscerated or something."`She eyed Paige again and the humor left her. "Shit, Paige."

Paige shrugged, sheepishly. "I'm okay, Han."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Hanna argued, her voice hitching with emotion as she turned to her. "I mean, I would hug you but I'm afraid…" She trailed off, her voice faltering completely.

Paige stepped toward her and held out her left arm. "It's okay, I won't break."

Hanna stepped into her arm and wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her close.

Paige wrapped her good arm across Hanna's shoulders completing their embrace. Hanna held her too tightly and Paige gritted her teeth but didn't make a sound and didn't pull away lest Hanna know she had hurt her.

"Paige, did you take the meds I left you?" Emily said by way of interrupting after a moment, seeing how uncomfortable Paige was.

Hanna let her go and Paige released a silent breath or relief, eyeing Emily with gratitude. "Yeah, I did. Thank you."

"Okay, Hanna, you must be starving. I know Eleanor is setting up dinner on the porch. Can we meet you down there in a few minutes?" Emily asked. "You're room is the next one down on the right if you want to get settled." She added.

Hanna's eyes flicked between them. "Yes, I will leave you two alone to smoosh faces or whatever." Hanna laughed. "All you had to do was ask."

Emily closed the door quietly behind her and leaned against it. "Lord, that woman can talk." She sighed with a tired smile.

Paige nodded and dropped back down onto the bed with a wince, letting out a slow breath. "Yup." She shrugged and adjusted the strap across her shoulder more comfortably. "You want to tell me what's going on?"

Emily smiled gently and crossed the room, dropping to her knees in front of Paige and laying her head in her lap, wrapping her arms around Paige's waist gently. "You know, Paige, you're going to make me gray early."

Paige smiled, running her fingers through Emily's hair. "Just think how much extra trauma practice your getting."

Emily sighed. "That's not funny, Paige." She picked her head up. "You could have lost the use of your hand or your whole arm, for that matter. As it is you're going to need intense PT to get the strength back in your hand."

"I can think of a few exercises we could do once this cast comes off." Paige teased. "What is this thing anyway? It feels weird."

"Some new fangled polymer splint technology." Emily pulled back the sling and ran her hand over the smooth splint. "It can come on and off pretty easily to change the dressings and, once the sutures come out you can get it wet because the thing is waterproof." Emily winked at her."Sorry, it didn't come in hot pink."

"Oh, fancy." Paige grinned. "Purple is good."

Emily eyed her. "So, really? How do you feel?"

Paige sucked in a breath and exhaled slowly. " Like hell." She admitted.

"Yeah." Emily sighed. "I figured as much."

"So, really?" Paige eyed Emily. "What is Hanna doing here?"

Emily pressed her lips together. "Today is July 4th and all the cops in this town are cleaning up after last night's adventures, taking statements, searching the Long residence. Oh, and the coroner finally put in an appearance sometime yesterday and completed the autopsy on Rachel Willis. Anyway, Chief Holbrook is out at the hospital, I don't even remember what town it's in, taking statements from Julia and Danica Long." Emily sighed. "To make a short story long. They're going to want to talk to us so we're not going anywhere today and we'll be lucky if we get out of here tomorrow. That leaves us very little time to get to San Diego for the 9th. You can't drive and I can't drive 1,000 some odd miles on my own. Not fast enough, anyway."

Paige stared at her, incredulously. "You flew Hanna out here to help with the driving so you could get me to Comic-con on time?"

"Well, yes." Emily shrugged. "Is that okay?"

"Em…" Was all Paige could whisper, her heart near bursting.

* * *

**Phew! I think everyone is going to make it. Thanks, so much, you guys for hanging in there with me. It's been really fun reading all the reviews. It's really my favorite part. Don't worry, we're not quite finished yet. A few more loose ends to tie up and some snapshots of the rest of the trip.**


	27. Chapter 27

Dinner was somewhat subdued as Emily filled Paige in on what had happened at the hospital after Paige had been treated. The interviews she had had with Chief Holbrook and finally getting to turn over the memory card. Together they filled Eleanor in on what had happened from when they left and sketched the story out from the beginning for Hanna who, for her part, listened with rapt attention and very little to say.

Emily and Paige now sat on the porch swing, much like they were their first night. Emily with a glass of wine and Paige with her head in Emily's lap, drowsy with medication as the sun set beautifully on their fifth and, hopefully last night in Ivy, Colorado while Hanna and Eleanor cracked up about some silly town gossip.

The crunch of tires on gravel roused Paige from her stupor and she pushed herself up with Emily's help to see Ryan Davies, dressed in jeans and t-shirt, hop down from a beat up Ford Bronco. He waved, hesitantly to Eleanor and offered Emily a small smile. His eyes flicked to Paige, his smile faltering.

"Come join us, Ryan." Eleanor stood and waved him on to the porch.

He nodded and took the steps slowly, his eyes flicking, uncertainly, between the women but always going back to Paige.

Paige noticed and decided to break the ice. She didn't want to fight anymore. "Day off?" She queried, taking in his dress.

"Oh, yeah." He looked down at himself with a shrug and jammed his hands in his pockets looking more like the young man he was and less like an officer of the law. "Month off, more like. Maybe the rest of my life off. Won't know until after the investigation."

"For the shooting?" Hanna asked ever the criminal justice student. "Or withholding evidence, obstructing justice, or something to do with what happened to Lily Grant? Criminal mischief? Assault? Voyeurism?"

"Um…" Davies shuffled his feet, looking uncomfortable at the questions. "Yeah, pretty much all of the above." He answered finally and eyed Hanna.

"Officer Davies, this is Hanna Marin." Emily introduced them from her spot on the swing. "She came in today from Pennsylvania to help us get back on the road. She's a good friend of Paige's."

"Yeah, I figured" Davies snorted. "And it's just Ryan now or Davies or...whatever."

Paige nodded. He had made mistakes, they all had, and he was standing up and taking responsibility for them now and for that she had the utmost respect. She knew from personal experience how much courage it took to admit your failings and turn things around. "You look like you could use a beer, Davies." She offered with a smile. "I'd get it for you but, you know." She shrugged her right shoulder.

"I'll get it." Eleanor moved to the house. "Have a seat Ryan."

Davies dropped into a chair at the table, obviously feeling uncomfortable. It had taken a lot for him to come here.

"Can you tell us anything about the investigation?" Emily asked, hopefully. She hadn't spoken to the Chief since last night and she was curious, they all were, about what was going to happen.

"I can't, actually." Davies said apologetically. "Because I don't know. After I told the Chief everything he asked for my badge and service weapon and put me on administrative leave. You'll have to talk to the Chief about it."

"I understand." Emily nodded. "We'll see him tomorrow."

Eleanor returned and Davies took the beer she offered him gratefully, draining half of it in one long swallow.

"Another?" She asked, raising eyebrow at him before turning to head back in the house.

"Um, sure." He answered. "It's been a week, you know?"

Hanna cleared her throat and scowled at him and Emily narrowed her eyes, placing a protective hand on Paige's leg, neither of them approving of him feeling sorry for himself when one young woman was dead, one disabled for life and Paige, injured when so much of what happened could have been prevented with honesty from him.

Davies' eyes widened with alarm at the sudden chill in the air and he looked about to bolt. He cleared his throat. "I um...I didn't mean..."

"Yeah, I'll drink to that." Paige rescued him. She covered Emily's hand with her own, giving her fingers a squeeze to let her know it was alright. "Han, would you mind getting me something?"

"Sure." Hanna tore her gaze from Davies. "Beer?"

"Please." Paige nodded.

"Nice try, McCullers." Emily interjected. "Orange juice, please, Hanna."

"Coming right up." Hanna laughed at Paige's pout and disappeared into the house.

"What are you doing here, Davies?" Paige asked, her goodwill extending only so far.

Davies shrugged and sighed, opening and closing his mouth a couple of times, seemingly unable to find the words.

"Because if you came out here looking for forgiveness." Paige went on. "We're not the ones you need to be asking."

Davies looked up at her, startled at her words. He nodded slowly. "I spent the afternoon with Lily." He said quietly. "That's where I'm coming from."

"Does she know what happened?" Emily asked.

"She does." He nodded. "I'm not sure how much she understands but she's been told."

"She understands more than people think, I'm sure." Paige insisted. "What's going to happen to her now?"

"I don't know." Davies shrugged. "Her parents were out there today discussing that with the facility. They want her to be able to stay but without the money Councilwoman Long was providing, about the only good think that woman ever did despite her motives, there's no way they can afford to keep her there. They're paid up through September so they have some time to work it out. I think I heard something about starting one of those online accounts for people to donate money."

Paige frowned. "How much do they need?"

Davies blew out a breath. "Three grand a month to keep her there."

Paige looked away doing the math in her head. "I'm sure it will all work out." She said casually. Her eyes flicked to Emily, staring at her oddly.

"Yeah, maybe." Davies frowned, covering his emotion by draining his beer. "I should get going."

Emily stood. "Thank you for stopping by, Ryan." She said gently, extending her hand. "And for everything you've done to bring this case to a close."

Davies reddened and looked uncomfortable at the praise, knowing how responsible he was but he shook Emily's hand and met her eyes. "I wish I had done more." He said simply. "I thought you might like to know that the coroner has released Rachel's body. She'll be buried tomorrow morning at 10:00 next to her mother if, you know, you wanted be there."

Paige struggled to her feet, swaying slightly until Emily got a hand around her waist to steady her. "Thank you" She said. "We'll be there."

"I'm really glad you're okay and, for what's worth, what you did last night, that was pretty fucking badass." He held out his left hand for her to make it less awkward.

"It was wasn't it?" Paige smirked, shaking his hand and glancing to Emily who rolled her eyes theatrically. "And, for what its worth, you're a decent shot."

They watched Ryan Davies drive away and Paige laid her head on Emily's shoulder, the last of her energy draining out of her. "Help me to bed?" She asked softly.

Emily gave her a gentle squeeze. "Let's go tough girl."

The morning was bright and warm as Emily drove them up to the cemetery, parking behind a line of cars, Eleanor pulling in behind. There were many people and Paige wondered how many were there because they truly wanted to honor and celebrate Rachel Willis' life and death and how many were there simply because the story around her was sensational and they were hoping for some gossip. She tried to shake off her cynical, bitter thoughts but virtually everything about this town left a bad taste in her mouth.

Craig Simpson was there, slouched in an ill fitting shirt and tie, his floppy hair slicked back. Ryan Davies was there but standing apart from Chief Holbrook and some of the other department staff. Danica Long was conspicuously absent.

An older man in black with clerical collar moved through the people and stood at the head of the casket, resting on the straps that would lower it into the grave, Craig Simpson had neatly prepared some days ago. He cleared his throat and the low hum of quiet conversation stopped. "Good morning." He began. "We are here this morning to mourn the loss of and celebrate the life of Rachel Willis." He opened his prayed book to the familiar Psalm 23 "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want…."

The words became white noise and Paige was aware only of Emily's arm around her, the warm breeze and sun rising against her back and the hot tears that streamed silently down her face. Her thoughts and emotions were chaotic-the ever present grief and anger which had fueled her all week, satisfaction that Rachel's killer had been caught, relief that they could finally be done with this place, heartache and loss for the love Rachel and Lily would never get to share and underneath at all, a pride she was almost embarrassed to admit, even to herself.

It would never matter how many people told her unless she believed it herself, believed in herself and she had done it, she had faced her demons and won. It had been dirty and raw and laid her bare physically and emotionally for everyone to see and she had survived. Not just survived but triumphed and for that she had every right to be proud.

Her eyes flicked to Emily, beautiful, strong and compassionate beyond measure and her heart swelled with a love she could not contain. She didn't know how she could ever thank her for standing by her during her most fragile times, holding her up, holding her together and never, not for a second losing faith in her.

* * *

"So this is Ivy, huh?" Hanna spun around slowly in the parking lot of the police station. They had said their goodbyes to Eleanor at the cemetery after the service. There was no formal reception but some of the folks were heading over to the diner and Eleanor was going to attend. They wouldn't have gone anyway but their presence was already requested by Chief Holbrook at the station.

Hanna could see much of the town from where she stood. "I'm going to take a look around so, just text me when you're done." She headed toward the street.

Emily cocked an eyebrow at Paige, unsure if they should be worried.

Paige shrugged. "Stay out of trouble, Hanna." She called after her.

"Ha!" Hanna waved but didn't turn around. "Kettle? Pot calling…"

The receptionist, Mary Ann, ushered them back to Chief Holbrook's office this time. The rest of the station was empty save for the support staff. More than likely the officers, now shorthanded, were even busier and still cleaning up from the holiday and the shooting.

"Ladies, thanks for coming." Holbrook said as he closed the door behind them. Paige and Emily dropped into what they were considering their assigned seats.

Holbrook came around and perched on the edge of his desk, looking at them carefully. "Your eye is looking better, McCullers." He offered.

"Yeah." Paige breathed a laugh. "There's that."

"How is your…" He gestured to her sling trailing off.

Paige raised her eyebrows. "How is the giant stab wound through the arm attached to my already broken hand? Awesome, thanks for asking." She snarked. "But seriously, Chief, I'm on so many drugs I can't feel a thing."

Holbrook pursed his lips and frowned, glancing to Emily for guidance.

Emily sighed, placing a hand on Paige's arm. "It was all soft tissue and muscle damage. Painful and debilitating for a time but, with therapy, there should be no permanent effects."

"That's good." Holbrook nodded. "Listen, I don't want to keep you, I'm sure you're anxious to get back on the road, but there are some things we should go over before you leave and I'm sure you have some questions."

"How is Julia Long?" Emily asked.

If he was surprised that was the first question he didn't show it as Holbrook crossed his arms and sucked in a weary breath. "Physically, she'll be fine. She's in custody at the hospital and under guard. She'll be transported to prison as soon as the doc clears her."

"Why?" Paige blurted. "Why did she do this? To protect her daughter?"

"That's the story she'd spinning. Claiming she knew of Danica's involvement with the Grant girl's accident and was protecting her daughter and, to illustrate her sense of guilt and remorse she has a year of paying for her care to show everyone" Holbrook answered. "But I don't believe it. She's cold blooded and I don't believe this wasn't all about protecting herself and her own position in this town."

"As Councilwoman in a town of 1,000 people?" Paige asked incredulously.

Holbrook shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you, McCullers."

"Did she say how she got Rachel to meet with her?" Emily asked.

"From what we can tell from Julia Long's, not altogether, statements Rachel may have thought she was meeting Danica. We think Julia intercepted a text from Rachel to Danica. We're pulling phone and text records now then we'll know for sure the timeline of events. She agreed to the meet, waited for the kids to come home, helped herself to Craig Simpson's knife, which has been confirmed as the murder weapon, and met Rachel at the quarry." Holbrook sighed. "She must have threatened Rachel for the memory card. The one Rachel had with her. We don't know yet whether we can prove premeditation or not. We may never know what really happened but we know Julia Long murdered her, tried to set up Simpson and then attacked you all at the quarry."

"Who was she going for?" Paige asked.

"What do you mean?" Holbrook eyed her quizzically.

"Was she trying to kill Danica for being, well, Danica? Or was she she going after Emily?" Paige explained.

"I don't have an answer for that." Holbrook admitted. "There's still so much we don't know and I'm sure there's much we may never know." He gestured widely. "What I can tell you is the Assistant District Attorney is all over this case and it's airtight. Julia has retained legal counsel, of course, but it will never be a question of her being found not guilty but how many charges we can find her guilty of. Craig Simpson and, to a lesser degree, Danica Long are cooperating and with your testimony Julia Long will be going to prison for a long time."

"Our testimony?" Emily asked. "At a trial, I assume?"

"I doubt it." Holbrook replied. "She'd be a fool to take this to trial and her attorney a bigger fool to let her. I suspect, aside from the arraignment, this will never see the inside of a courtroom but you two need to be prepared to come back in any event. Your expenses will be covered, of course, by the state. It won't be for a while and it may never happen so, I wouldn't worry too much about it."

"What about Danica?" Paige asked. "Where is she in all this?"

"Back at home with orders not to leave town." Holbrook explained. "The DA's office is looking into the video and discussing with the Grants whether there are going be criminal charges filed against her for Lily Grant's injuries. There could also be a civil suit against the Long estate which they may pursue to seek restitution for medical costs, pain and suffering and continued long term care." Holbrook paused and eyed them both to see where they were in all this. "And, in case you were wondering, all charges against Craig Simpson have been dropped and no further charges are pending."

Paige sat back in her chair, letting out a slow breath. "So, what now?"

Holbrook shrugged and offered a smile. "Now you two get the hell out of here." He stood from his desk and moved to open his office door. "For real this time."

Emily stood and helped Paige to her feet. "Are you ready?." She asked quietly. "Is there anything else you need to ask?"

Paige swallowed hard feeling, for a moment, a sense of loss at leaving. "No, I'm good." She made it halfway through the door before she turned back. "Hey, Chief?"

"McCullers?" He waited expectantly.

"About Officer Davies." Paige's mouth quirked in a half smile. "He may need a little work but I have a feeling he'll be worth the effort."

Holbrook pressed his lips together in a thin line. "What makes you think that?"

Paige shrugged. "Just my gut."

Holbrook nodded. "I'll let him know you think so."

Paige barked a laugh. "Please, don't."


	28. Chapter 28

"This is fucking amazing." Paige said as she circled the spiral staircase in the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico. "I don't even get it at all." Paige glanced at the brochure she was holding. "It ascends 20 feet, goes around twice completely and was built without nails or support of any kind-that's fucking amazing."

"Dude, Paige, lower your voice or easy with the f-bombs." Hanna scolded glancing apologetically at the other tourists appreciating the staircase and chapel. "You're in God's house and you're frightening the children."

Emily smiled, shaking her head, considering Paige's good natured profanity as a sign she was feeling better and returning to her old self. They were only a day out of Ivy and it seemed, almost, as though the events of the last week were fast becoming a distant memory. Emily was not so naive, though, to think that there weren't going to be scars, physical and emotional from what they had endured.

"Huh?" Paige asked absently as she continued to be engrossed in the brochure. "Yeah, I'm kind of hungry."

Emily laughed. "Let's go back to that cafe of the corner near the hotel. The menu looked outstanding."

"I'm in." Hanna was already halfway to the door.

"Paige?" Emily called when she realized she wasn't following but staring up at the spiralling stairs.

"Fucking amazing." Paige shook her head in disbelief. "Can we go to the Bandelier ruins after breakfast?"

They were pressed for time to get to San Diego and, under different circumstances, would have made the trip with two long days driving and one overnight but, it was obvious within hours, Paige was not going to do well in the car for that long. Though she dutifully took her medication, slept off and on and never complained both Emily and Hanna, splitting the driving between them, knew when she grew quiet and stopped being interested in eating she was struggling.

The next night when they stopped, Hanna, disappointed that Las Vegas was too far out of their way in the time they had, was allowed to pick where they went to dinner.

"Gah!" Emily teased. "You're as bad as Paige."

"You mean as good as Paige." Paige high fived Hanna with an ear splitting grin as they walked into the Buffalo Chip Saloon and Steakhouse in Cave Creek outside of Phoenix.

"And there's bull riding and cowboys and dancing and let's go the bar." Hanna grabbed Paige's hand and pulled her along."

"Ooooh, a mechanical bull." Paige looked over into the corner where some poor slob was being hurtled onto the mats from the bucking contraption.

"Don't even think about it, Paige." Emily called after them as they disappeared through the crowd of spectators.

Another full day on the road before they could check into their suite at the Grand Hyatt near the convention center in San Diego. Hanna was flying back to Rosewood on the red eye, not even getting one day in the city as she was unable to take anymore time off from her program.

Emily was exhausted and could only imagine how Paige must feel. Paige and Hanna said their goodbyes in the room, Paige was embarrassed but couldn't even pretend she had the energy to see her out of the hotel and Hanna, understanding Paige as well as she did, knowing how hard the admission was for her, waved her off graciously with a gentle hug and an insistence that Paige text pictures from her nerd fest.

As they embraced Emily could see Paige's eyes brighten with emotion and words failed her as she attempted to thank Hanna for being there for her. Hanna, knowing the exact right thing to do, laughed and gave her a gentle shove. "You owe me, McCullers."

Paige managed a smile and fought back tears. "Beat it, Marin." She turned away and headed to the bathroom.

"Do you have everything you need?" Emily asked as she walked Hanna out to the lobby to catch a cab to the airport.

"Yeah, I'm cool." Hanna said and stopped just before the glass doors that would take her out to the courtyard, turning to Emily.

Emily felt her chest tightening with emotion as well. "I can't thank you enough, Hanna. I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing continuing on after everything. Paige and I are still getting to know each other and I-"

"You did the right thing, Emily." Hanna assured her with a smile. "I think, when it comes to Paige, you have pretty good instincts."

"Thank you for saying that." Emily returned her smile. "And thank you for being such a good friend to her, to us."

"It's not hard." Hanna rolled her eyes. "Well, yeah, okay, maybe it's a little hard. Next time maybe your crisis can be just one of you feeling neglected or bent out of shape because one of you got too handsy with a coworker or something."

Emily laughed. "I'll see what I can do."

"Good." Hanna grabbed the handle to her suitcase again. "Because this life threatening shit is tough to handle. Especially, from so far away."

"Oh, well, it's not any easier up close." Emily replied grimly. "Believe me."

Hanna studied her. "You're really good for her." She said finally.

Emily blushed and looked away. "I've been a little worried that you might be...um...I didn't want you to feel…"

"Jealous?" Hanna finished with smile.

"Yeah." Emily breathed. "That sounds totally obnoxious doesn't it? I'm sorry."

"No." Hanna laughed. "It's fine, Emily, and since we're being honest I was and am, sometimes but Paige is so happy and I'm happy for her. For both of you. I can only imagine how being with Paige has upended your world. Holy schadenfreude." She laughed again. "And I take comfort in knowing that when the honeymoon is over I'm going to be the one she comes running to to bitch about you."

Emily blinked at her, frowning. She didn't know if she was joking or not. "Um, thanks, I think."

"You bet." Hanna gave her a lopsided grin and a wink. "See you back at the ranch, Doc."

Emily closed the door to the room softly and set a large brown paper bag of to go containers on the coffee table in the living room of their suite the restaurant had been kind enough to package up for her while she waited.

Paige was nowhere to be seen but Emily could hear water running in the tub in the bathroom. She kicked off her shoes and padded across the soft carpet toward the bathroom. The bathroom door was half open and Emily stopped when she saw Paige in front of the mirror carefully stripping her t-shirt over her head. She moved stiffly like even the simplest motions caused her pain as she prodded the skin over her ribs with her fingertips, wincing slightly. Paige turned and examined the extent of the still colorful bruising across her lower back in the mirror, frowning at what she saw.

Finally, she leaned, hands on the counter and hung her head. Emily could tell she was breathing deep and slow but she could only imagine what she was thinking or feeling. Was she in pain or sad? Was she thankful or relieved?

Emily turned away, ashamed to have watched Paige at such a vulnerable, private moment and leaned against the wall trying to get a handle on her own emotions and how best to be there for Paige and take care of herself as well.

She turned back to the bathroom and swallowed heavily as she watched Paige pick at the tape on the bandages around her arm before knocking softly on the door. "May I help?" This she understood. This she could do.

Paige looked up with a tired smile. "Yeah, thanks. Nothing seems to be working right today." She held out her arm.

Emily carefully unwound the bandages and examined Paige's arm. She sutures were holding fine and the wound, while red and inflamed still showed no sign of infection. "It looks good." Emily prodded the skin around the sutures. "Does it hurt much?"

Paige shrugged a yes. "It's starting to itch like a son of a bitch."

"Hmm, that means it's healing." Emily replied. "The sutures can come out in a few more days but you can get you arm wet now if you want."

Paige finished stripping off her clothes and tested the water of the nearly full tub before slipping in up to her neck, waterproof cast and all. "Ah, shit, that's nice." She sighed dropping her head back and closing her eyes.

Emily smiled, softly. "I brought up some dinner from the restaurant downstairs if you're hungry."

"Mmmm." Paige murmurred. "Thanks."

Emily rose to leave. "Can I get you anything?"

Paige cracked an eye. "Are you leaving?"

"I'll just be in the other room." Emily smiled.

"There are jets." Paige lifted a soapy hand and pressed a button in the tile. The tub hummed to life, the steamy soapy water bubbling and churning around her. "It tickles." Her eyes flashed merrily. They hadn't been together in days and Paige was feeling the loss. "I've missed you." She whispered.

Emily's heart thudded at Paige's invitation. She wanted her, too, badly but she knew how banged up Paige still was. She shook her head. "I don't think-"

"I'll be gentle, I promise." Paige teased and held out her hand.

Emily took a shuddering breath feeling, with every beat of her heart, the iron band of fear finally releasing the hold it had had on her since the moment they had found out about Rachel Willis' death. Fear that she would lose Paige and that Paige would lose herself. "I've missed you, too."

They spent a long time in the tub, being close, being safe, talking, touching, laughing. It was cathartic and healing for both of them and when they finally moved to the bed, warm, loose and relaxed for the first time in days, their lovemaking was slow and intimate in a way they had not yet known.

Emily, on many levels, wanted to wish away everything that had happened but her connection to Paige, their bond, grew so strong and she wondered if she hadn't learned just as much about herself as she had about Paige. That is something she would never regret.

As she cleaned away the last of the remnants of their late night snack in bed she watched Paige sleep, deeply and unmedicated she felt a sense of contentment she had never known and slipping naked into bed next to her a completeness she never knew she was missing.

* * *

"You know, Em, I always meant to talk to you about what you were going to wear this weekend on the way out here." Paige called through the bathroom door. "I mean, no pressure or anything but there are going to be a lot of costumes and I don't want you to feel, um, I don't know, underdressed? These people take this shit pretty seriously."

"These people?" Emily laughed as she finished getting dressed in the bedroom. Paige had wanted to get ready in the bathroom so it could be a surprise which suited Emily just fine. "As opposed to….."

"Well, yeah, okay." Paige conceded. "But it's not like I do this sort of thing all the time, you know, like some of these people."

"You keep saying that…" Emily replied as she zipped up her suit and adjusted herself. "...and I'm going to start thinking you're embarrassed to be doing this."

"Ha!" Paige blurted from behind the door. "Deputy Director Maria Hill has nothing to be embarrassed about." Paige flung open the door and froze, mouth agape.

Emily, in a deep red, wavy wig, was leaning against the back of the sofa, arms crossed dressed head to toe in a jet black, skin tight pleather jumpsuit emblazoned with the S.H.I.E.L.D logo on each shoulder and calf high black boots. Slung low around her hips was a leather belt with dual holsters buckled around each thigh holding plastic handguns.

"Deputy Director?" Emily purred in her best smoke and whisky voice and pushed herself off the sofa smoothly, dropping her arms to reveal a scandalous amount of cleavage . "I wasn't aware of the promotion Commander Hill." Her eyes flashed with humor and challenge.

Paige stood, rooted, her own uniform charcoal black, fabric with pleather accents at the shoulders, waist, and inseam. The only color on her the purple cast. She wore a similar gun belt but only one and around her neck hung a S.H.I.E.L.D. badge replica. Her hair was scraped back into a tight pony tail.

Paige coughed and cleared her throat, her mouth opening and closing a couple of times as she struggled to find words. "Agent Romanoff." She began, barely able to keep a straight face. "I wasn't aware you were going to be here."

"Well." Emily closed the distance between them and stood, mere inches from Paige with her hands on her hips displaying the curves she knew Paige loved so much and looked outstanding in this suit. "I wouldn't be a very good spy if you had."

Paige's mouth gaped again. "I don't know how you do it." She finally whispered.

"It's easy, Commander." Emily moved impossibly close to her. "Would you like me to show you?"

Emily's body was warm this close to her and she smelled wonderful and Paige's core tightened with desire so profound it nearly doubled her over. "I'm sorry, Agent, that wouldn't be appropriate." She took a step back from her, swallowing thickly and taking a shuddering breath. "At least, not at this time. But I assure you we will revisit this conversation later." She grinned and held out her hand. "Shall we?"

Emily reached for her. "Yes, Ma'am."


	29. Chapter 29

Emily unlocked the door and toed it open. "Mom? Dad?" She offered Paige, who had looked sickeningly nervous for the last hour, an encouraging smile and reached for her hand.

"Were on the back deck, Emily!" A woman's voice called from far away. "Come join us!"

"And bring beer!" A man's voice added.

Emily rolled her eyes and pulled Paige into the house. "Come on."

The convention was the spectacle that Emily expected. What she didn't expect was how much fun she had. They made friends, had crazy, intelligent and ridiculous discussions, heard speakers, saw celebrities, played with toys, gawked at costumes, had their photos taken with the other Avengers and laughed harder than she had in a long time.

Even if she hadn't enjoyed it for it's own sake, watching Paige so unselfconsciously strut around dressed as a comic book character was enough, especially after where they had just been and she, too, would be lying if she said she hadn't enjoyed being appreciated for her portrayal of Black Widow.

What was the biggest surprise was how welcome a moment it was for her to shed her outward self to play a fantastical and intentionally sexual role. She apparently wore it well, too, and Paige did not pass up an opportunity to tell and, even better, show her exactly what she thought of Emily's inner sexy superhero.

Paige, as expected, had no problems embracing her inner hero and her natural humor and charisma were a magnet for other attendees and they never lacked for invitations to meals, drinks or special events.

Which is why it was particularly amusing now, to see her agitatedly shifting from foot to foot as Emily raided the refrigerator and handed out fresh beers for them to take outside and share with her parents.

"You want one, right?" Emily asked as she paused with a fourth in her hand.

"Yes." Paige choked out. "Maybe two or three?"

Emily laughed. "Paige, take a breath. Why does this have you so rattled?"

Paige lick her lips, her eyes darting around the small military issue bungalow outside San Antonio. It was dated but neat, well appointed and comfortable with evidence of Emily everywhere. "What if they don't like me?" She said, finally.

Emily cocked her head, surprised and, for a moment, she thought Paige was kidding. She stood, wrapping her arms around her waist- after four days of healing in San Diego and another two days on the road again she could finally hold Paige properly, among other things- pulling her close and kissing her deeply. "What's not to like?" She murmured when she pulled away.

"You're absolutely right." Paige grinned, goofily. "You're so dating up." She teased.

"Ahem." A gruff voice sounded from the doorway. "Is this why I'm still waiting for my beer?"

Paige leaped back with a squeak of surprise, juggling the cans in her hand to keep from dropping them, her face flaming red.

"Dad!" Emily grinned and closed the distance between them, throwing her arms around her father's neck and letting him sweep her off her feet.

"Hi, Baby." He squeezed her hard. "It's been too long." He set her down. "Better get out here and greet your mother." His eyes, sparkling with amusement, flicked to Paige as he threw his arm around Emily and steered her outside. "Don't forget the beer." He called over his shoulder

"Yes, Sir, It's very nice to meet you, Sir." Paige muttered under her breath. "Yes, I am having dirty lesbian sex with your daughter, thank you for asking." Paige sucked in a deep breath and blew it out slowly as she followed them outside.

* * *

"Dad, stop being ridiculous and just ask Paige." Emily laughed as she helped her mother prepare lunch.

They had been with her parents for three days and, after the first day when her father had been scolded by both Emily and her mother for giving Paige a hard time-however well intentioned-they had settled down comfortably. It's a father's job, he explained, to be hard on his daughter's lovers and it should be no different whether she dates men or women and Emily should be proud she has such open, equality minded parents.

His words, and Paige nearly choked on her beer at his use of the word 'lover' but otherwise thought he had a valid point and said as much. He offered her a nod of approval and tapped his can with hers and the tension between them dissipated.

Emily's mother, Pam, had fussed over Paige knowing, at least some of the details of her recent ordeal, and plied her with food and drink every chance she got. Emily and Paige had agreed to be honest with their parents, to a point, but they didn't need to know everything about what they had been through. It was just better that way.

"Ask me what?" Page asked as she bounded into the kitchen. She had spent the morning in the room she had been sharing with Emily. Not her childhood room, of course, as she grew up in Rosewood, but the one she used when she had came to visit.

She had wanted to make some phone calls and send some email as they prepared for their return back to Rosewood. She had been contacted by the Pathology Department letting her know they had begun interviewing for the vacant forensic pathologist position and when she returned she was invited to sit in on final interviews after they whittled the field down to three.

Though she suspected it was just good PR considering why the position was vacant she was pleased they would be considering her opinion for her new boss. She gave them a date she knew she would be back in Rosewood.

She emailed her parents and Hanna and sent them some photos, not the same ones, and made some plans with Hanna for when they returned which she was particularly excited about. She wrapped up her business with a call to her parents lawyer and financial advisor, now her own. It went better than she had expected and her mood was high.

"My father, for all his intimidating bluster…" Emily bumped her father in the hip. "...wants to ask you something but, apparently, is too shy."

Pam Fields laughed with her daughter at her father's obvious embarrassment. "Emily, don't tease your father."

"Wayne?" Paige eyed him, cheekily. He had insisted she stop calling him "Sir" but Paige had been reluctant. Today, though, there was a playful humor in the air and she went for it.

He raised his brows at her in surprise, bolstered by her boldness. "There are roads in the hill country, fast and winding and I was wondering if we could, you know, if you wanted…" His nerve failed him.

Paige frowned for a moment before she caught on. Emily was nearly bursting with laughter as was her mother. "Wayne, do you want to take my car out for a drive?" She asked with a cocky grin.

Wayne Fields reddened, furiously, pressing his lips together sourly at the laughter that erupted in the kitchen at his expense.

Paige was delighted and the look on Emily's face said she was as well. She dug in her pocket for the keys and tossed them to Emily's father who snatched them out of the air with a grin of his own. "It's so on." Paige laughed.

* * *

"Did you have fun today?" Emily asked as she wriggled back against Paige in the bed only big enough for two if they were cozy, which wasn't a problem.

"Yeah, you're dad was hilarious." Paige chuckled to herself as she wrapped her arms around Emily, brushing her fingertips across the tops of her breasts. "Your parents are pretty great."

"I'm glad you think so." Emily smiled. "They think a lot of you, too."

"And they have impeccable taste." Paige laughed and kissed the back of Emily's neck, stopping as a thought struck her. "Is it too late to add something to my bucket list to cross off tonight?" She resumed kissing the back of Emily's neck and shoulders and working her fingers more urgently over Emily's skin."

"What did you have in mind?" Emily giggled and squirmed under Paige's touch. "That tickles."

"You." Paige breathed in her ear. "I have you in mind." She kissed behind her ear and cupped a breast, kneading gently.

Emily gasped. "Paige, no." She hissed. "My parents are just on the other side of that wall."

"I know." Paige slid her hand lower, tracing slow circles around Emily's belly and brushing her fingertips up and down her hips. "That's the point."

"You want have sex with me with my parents in the other room." Emily shook with silent laughter. "That's on your bucket list?"

Paige dipped her fingers between Emily's legs, teasing the sensitive skin. "It is now."

Emily sucked in a breath, arching back against Paige's chest, her body responding to Paige's skillful touch. "And is having my army officer father kick in the door when he hears the sounds of his only daughter being defiled in the next room part of that fantasy?"

"Defiled?" Paige laughed into Emily's hair. "That's just wrong."

Emily twisted around in Paige's arms so she was on her back and could look at her. "Precisely my point."

Paige smirked, ruthlessly before descending on Emily's mouth with her own, nipping her lower lip and cupping her breasts. "I guess you better be quiet then." She parted Emily's lips with her tongue, kissing her hotly.

"Mmmmm." Emily groaned into her mouth, threading her fingers through Paige's hair and pulling her even more tightly to her, as she slipped her hand across Paige's chest, squeezing her breast hard in response.

Paige didn't tease for long, shifting her weight over Emily and spreading her legs wide with her own, her left hand working it's way between her legs. Emily's center was hot and slick as she parted her with her fingers, plunging into her hard and deep with a single thrust.

Emily's mouth opened in a silent scream, her back arching off the bed as she clawed at paige's shoulders. She sucked in a deep panting breath as Paige withdrew slowly to her fingertips before filling her again.

Emily couldn't hold back a throaty moan of pleasure and gritted her teeth against the scream building within her core.

"Shhhhh." Paige reminded her, eyes flashing wickedly, as she withdrew again, swirling her fingers around the wetness at Emily's entrance and circling her clit.

Emily's hips bucked wildly at the change of pace and sensation and she bit down on her lip, covering her face with her hands. "Oh, God…." She gasped softly, her voice strained.

Paige hadn't meant to drag things out but Emily was on fire and Paige wanted more. She shifted again on the bed pressing Emily's legs out wider, opening her more fully, penetrating her deeply and curling her fingers against her walls stimulating them to spasm and contract.

Emily jerked erratically, lifting her hips and grinding against Paige's hand, the pressure building unbearably in her core, radiating out and searing her nerves. "Paige...oh, my God...it's too much…" She panted dropping her hands to her sides and gripping the bedsheets in her fists.

Paige quickened her pace, driving in and out of her hard, circling her clit with her thumb in an unrelenting rhythm that had Emily gasping for breath with every thrust, sweat slicking between them, as Emily's center tightened painfully before exploding in orgasm.

Emily arched off the bed, gripping Paige around the back and burying her face in her neck, groaning into her shoulder as she rode out wave after wave of release in relative silence.

Paige held her close until she felt the contractions release their hold on her and eased out from between Emily's legs. "Nailed it." She laughed smugly into Emily's hair.

Emily dropped back against the bed, spent and liquid, eyes heavy lidded and bright in ecstasy. "You're such a fool." She panted, pulling Paige down, searching for her lips.

"Mmmm hmmm." Paige agreed. "For you." She mumbled, deepening their kiss.

"Knock it off." Emily laughed into her mouth.

"Make me." Paige challenged.

"With pleasure." Emily flipped her onto her back, kissing her way down her body, while Paige covered her mouth to smother a laugh and other not so innocent sounds.


	30. Chapter 30

Emily toyed with the strings of colorful plastic beads around Paige's neck as she walked by. "Do you have to do the same things to earn beads in the summer in New Orleans as you do during Mardi Gras?" She laughed.

Paige had just come up from the hotel gym with the mysteriously acquired accessories. "I'll never tell." She teased and headed for the bathroom. She had gone for her first couple of runs back in San Antonio. It had been slow and painful but getting back into her exercising routines after a couple of days was getting much easier. She even lifted some today though, she suspected, was going to pay for it later. "What do you say to breakfast in the Quarter before we get back on the road?"

Paige had set an ambitious pace to get back to Rosewood with bittersweet feelings. She didn't want her exclusive and intimate time with Emily to end but she was ready to get back to Rosewood and get back to her work, friends and life and she had started seeing signs that Emily felt the same.

She never said anything but Emily had been spending more time on her phone lately, checking her email and taking calls. It seemed, she too, was feeling out of touch.

The time with Emily's parents had been perfect and, while Paige arrived, nervous and uncertain, she left feeling welcome, approved of and even loved. She couldn't have asked for more than that.

"Hey!" Emily called as Paige closed the door on her. "I was just about to get in the shower."

There was a long moment of silence before Paige opened the door again wearing nothing but beads. "Oh, yeah?" She frowned, her finger going to her chin in mock contemplation. "Whatever are we going to do? There's only one shower."

Emily shook her head with a grin, cupping Paige's bead adorned breasts and pressing her back from the doorway into the bathroom and entering after.

* * *

"I'm sorry." Paige blurted. "I don't even understand how this is possible."

"Well, wait, turn it up." Emily laughed. "Maybe, I do, I just don't know it yet."

_Your beauty is beyond compare_

_With flaming locks of auburn hair_

_With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green_

_Your smile is like a breath of spring_

_Your voice is soft like summer rain_

_And I cannot compete with you, Jolene _

"Yeah, no." Emily shook her head. "I don't know it."

"Let's back it up." Paige turned the music back down. "You've heard of Dolly Parton?"

"Of course." Emily replied haughtily. "She was in that movie a couple of years ago with Queen Latifah."

"Holy shit." Paige smacked her head. "We have some work to do."

"And. And." Emily bounced up and down on her seat and banged on the steering wheel, excitedly. "I read Beyonce just beat her out for most Grammy nominations ever." She grinned, goofily. "Mmmmm, Beyonce."

"Slow your roll, Jay-Z." Paige laughed. "We're talking about Dolly, here. Just listen." She restarted the song.

_Jolene, Jolene. Jolene, Jolene_

_I'm begging of you please don't take my man_

"So, the reason I'm playing this, and we have a few more hours to get you up to speed." Paige began when the song ended. "Is because we are about to embark on a two day adventure at none other than Dollywood Family Amusement Park and Splash Country in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee." She finished excitedly.

"Dollywood, huh?" Emily repeated, skeptically.

"Don't even." Paige eyed. "I bet you think _I Will Always Love You _is a Whitney Houston song?"

"Really?" Emily gaped at her before she pressed her lips together and fought a smile. "I refuse to incriminate myself further." She said finally. "But I should tell you, if there are roller coasters involved-I'm a screamer."

Paige laughed. "Yes, well, I have some experience in that department so, I think I can handle it."

Emily just shook her head. "You are such a pain in my ass." She muttered good naturedly.

* * *

Paige and Emily walked along the pathway, busy with other visitors, looking in respectful silence at the more than 50,000 names etched into the wall at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington. DC.

They had already been to the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. Paige had wanted to save The Wall for last and she held Emily's hand on one side and the other hand traced the smooth, reflective surface of the black stone, stopping occasionally to appreciate, flags, flowers and cards left near the panels inscribed with loved ones names.

"It's beautiful." Emily said softly as they reached the apex and gazed up at the 10 foot high wall.

"What an incredible way to be remembered." Paige agreed as they began walking again, hand and hand.

"Are you ready to go home?" Emily asked as they walked across the park toward the car.

Paige sighed. "Back to reality?"

"This was real, Paige." Emily replied with a smile. "Every second of it."

"Would you do it again?" Paige asked, stopping them to turn and look at her.

Emily smiled, tucking a lock of hair from Paige's face, before slipping her arms around her neck and placing a soft kiss on her lips. "In a heartbeat."

* * *

"Where are we?" Emily blinked, blearily and sat up. It was getting dark and she had no idea how long she had been asleep.

"Close." Paige smiled. "Are you hungry?"

Emily looked out the window recognising now where they were. "Starving." She answered. "But I don't have anything at home so, we may need to stop somewhere."

"Hmm, yeah." Paige agreed. "How do you feel about a burger and fries?" She turned on the familiar streets.

"Sounds great." Emily stretched, her head cocking to the sound as she heard a phone chime.

"I think that's me." Paige said. "It's in the console. Do you mind seeing who it is?"

Emily retrieved Paige's phone and glanced at the screen in startled surprise. "I think it's Eleanor." She swiped to answer. "Hello?"

"Oh, hello." She turned to face Paige, a look of amused confusion on her face. "No, this is Emily, Paige is driving."

Paige tapped on her leg. "Who is it?"

Emily waved her off. "No, it's fine, go ahead." She was quiet for several moments. "That's great. I'm really happy to hear that and I'm sure Paige will be, too. I'm sure everything will work out for you."

"What?" Paige asked, annoyed that Emily wasn't sharing the information with her.

"What's that?" Emily asked, plugging her ear to hear better over the sound of the engine. "Really? How much?" She asked, shocked, her eyes locking on Paige. "Yeah, yes, that's incredible." She listened for another moment. "Thanks so much for letting us know, _Officer_ Davies. Take care." She disconnected and let her hands drop to her lap, shifting her gaze out the window as she worked to wrap her head around what she had just heard.

"Davies?" Paige blurted. "What did he want?"

"To tell us he's off administrative leave. Not it in the field yet but back at his desk and working really hard to earn the Chief's trust again." Emily explained.

"That all?" Paige asked, suspiciously.

Emily sucked in a breath and turned to Paige, studying her profile as she focused on the road. "And, apparently, that an anonymous benefactor has set up a trust in Lily Grant's name to be used for her long term care. She doesn't have to move."

"Wow." Paige nodded, chewing her bottom lip and staring ahead. "That's….that's fucking amazing."

"I wonder who would do something like that?" Emily studied her, catching glimpses of Paige's expression in the passing street lights enough to see her lips pressed tightly together as she gave a little shrug but didn't answer. "Someone truly remarkable, I think." Emily whispered finally placing her hand on Paige's leg and giving her a squeeze.

"We're about to drive by the Owl." Paige finally spoke. "Is it okay if we stop for food?"

"Sure." Emily agreed and Paige turned into the lot. "It's busy." She commented as they threaded their way through parking lot.

"Yeah, well it's Thursday." Paige agreed noncomittally.

"Hey." Emily pointed. "There's a spot by the door."

Paige grinned. "It's like they knew we were coming." She pulled into the spot.

Paige reached for Emily's hand, her heart thudding in her chest, as she pushed open the door and the room exploded in noise.

"Welcome home Paige and Emily!" Was chorused, in some version, terribly, from upwards of fifty people.

The lights we bright, the music loud and someone thought to arm themselves with Silly String and everyone was showered with colorful strands.

Emily's hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with surprise. "Oh, my God!"

Paige roared with laughter, her eyes flashing with delight. "Holy shit!"

"Did you do this?" Emily shouted over the din, grabbing Paige by the arm and spinning her around to face her.

Paige shurgged, sheepishly. "Sort of?" She opened her mouth to say more when she was blindsided. "Oooof." She staggered back a step.

"I'm so glad you're back!" Hanna squealed and wrapped her arms around her. "Oh shit!" She jumped back. "Is that okay?"

"I'm fine." Paige grinned and wrapped Hanna up in a huge hug, squeezing her so hard she tapped out on Paige's shoulder.

Paige released her finally and Hanna turned to Emily, throwing her arms around her neck. "Thank you for getting you both home safely." She whispered for Emily's ears alone.

Emily smiled, returning her embrace. "You're welcome."

"I'm glad you made it back in one piece." Spencer Hastings said dryly and handed each of them a beer. "I would be lying if I said I hadn't worried about you." Her eyes flicked to Paige. "Even you, McCullers."

"Thanks, Hastings." Paige took a long pull on her beer and gave her a wink. "I'm touched."

"Ladies." Toby wended his way through the crowd. "Your table awaits."

He crooked his arms and Paige and Emily each took an elbow and allowed him to escort them to a table up near the small stage. On the way by they greeted friends, regulars from the bar and even some of Emily's colleagues from the Emergency Department.

They slid into a booth across from each other and Toby leaned over the table, eyeing them both in turn. "We'll talk tomorrow." He said pointedly, before breaking into a grin and covering each of their hands with one of his own. "I'm really glad you're home." He moved off to rejoin Hanna and Spencer.

"Dinner is served." Angie, Paige's usual server slid two baskets of burgers and fries in front of them. "Food is on the Biddies tonight, girls. Enjoy."

Emily and Paige scanned the room to find the table full of cackling old ladies. They waved their thanks and more then one of them mimed singing into the microphone. Paige sighed and rolled her eyes.

Emily was already into her burger. "This is so good." She said around a mouth full of food. "How did you do all this?" She asked after she swallowed.

Paige breathed a laugh. "I didn't, really. At least, I didn't mean to." She took a bite of her own burger. "I mentioned something to Hanna about wanting to see people when we got back into town and, well, you can imagine what happened next." Paige turned her attention to her fries.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, the hum of the room buzzing around them, and Emily couldn't help thinking about the last time they were here and said as much. "You brought me here on our first date." She smiled.

Paige nodded. "Was that a date?"

"It was…" She considered. "...informal information gathering." She laughed at her own answer.

Paige nearly choked, reaching for her beer to wash down her food. "Oh yeah?" She laughed. "And what do you learn?"

"That first night?" Emily chewed her lip, stalling by rolling a fry around in ketchup before popping into her mouth. "That you are unapologetic, passionate and honorable."

Paige grinned. "You forgot smart, funny and sexy as hell."

"I forgot insufferable, obnoxious and cocky as shit." Emily shot back without missing a beat.

Paige's eyes flashed with humor and desire which she could see reflected in Emily's own. Her plans, which she had been looking forward to for a while, now seemed an inconvenience as all she wanted to do was get Emily home to bed but they were stuck socializing for a while.

The microphone crackled to life. "Hello, the Hungry Owl!" Holden Strauss bellowed.

A cheer went up from the crowd.

"We're going to do things a little differently tonight." He explained. "I know Thursday is usually trivia night but I've had a request to fire up the karaoke machine in honor of Paige and her staggeringly better half Emily's return from the open road."

A cheer went up and folks started shouting requests. A couple of servers came around distributing the song binders and squares of paper on which to write selections.

"So, to kick things off with our usual style I think Paige oughta get her skinny ass up here and sing us a song." Holden grinned. "What do you all think?"

There was another round of cheers.

Paige grinned at Emily with a shrug. She had been expecting this and hopped out of the booth with her beer and up to the stage, grabbing the mike in the stand. "Thank you!" The cheering grew for a moment followed by a barrage of coasters zinging by her head in fun. "Thanks, asshole!" She pointed to the offender with a laugh.

"Thanks for coming out to welcome us home, you guys…except for you lot…" She pointed to a group of frat boys by the bar. "...I don't know who you all are but this is your lucky night." She laughed at their antics and cheers. "I'm going out on a limb here, tonight, and doing a duet…" She eyed Emily who looked, immediately, stricken. "...now I will do both parts if I have to but you all know I have a range for shit and I could really use some help on this song and I think you know who I have in mind. So, I'd appreciate your giving me a hand in getting her up here."

The crowd started chanting Emily's name.

"Hit it, man!" She gestured to Holden.

He jammed his finger down onto a button on the console and the, very familiar music played.

Paige snugged up to the microphone in the stand. "Now, I've had the time of my life. No, I've never felt like this before…" She sang in her best bass, her eyes flashing with humor and gaze never wavering from Emily. "...Yes, I swear it's the truth and I owe it all to you."

The guests roared with laughter and cheers and people were already singing along when Paige waved her hand across her neck to cut the recording. "So, am I doing this by myself?" She cocked an eyebrow to Emily.

Emily covered her flushed face in her hands and shook her head. Their guests laughed and jeered at her and she was pelted with coasters but refused to budge or even look at Paige she was so embarrassed.

"Okay." Paige sighed dramatically. "You asked for it, Emily, but I know you can sing so this is all on you." She took a pull of her beer and cleared her throat theatrically before nodding to Holden to start the song again.

"Cause I've had the time of my life...:" Paige's mock falsetto for the female part was hilarious and she had the crowd to help her along. "...and I owe it all to you."

The cheers for Emily grew louder as Paige, again, cut off the song. "Really, Em?" She cajoled. "You're going to make me do this by myself?" She pulled the mike out of the stand so she could hop off the stage and approach her.

She bent down as if she was going to whisper in her ear but spoke into the microphone as well. "Where's your sense of adventure, Emily?" She whispered, her words, amplified around the room.

Emily's head snapped up at the challenge, eyes blazing. She rose from the booth, fluidly, and plucked the microphone from Paige's hand. "You're on." She whispered into the mike so everyone could hear and made her way to the stage to roaring applause.

She waited, her eyes never leaving Paige, as Paige taunted her by socializing with friends on the way back up.

Paige took her time, teasing Emily with her eyes and antics all the way. When she finally made it to the stage Holden handed her another microphone and eyed her expectantly. Paige smirked at Emily and gave him a sharp nod. "I've been waiting for so long now I've finally found someone to stand by me." She sang, huskily.

Emily fought, heroically, against laughter, her eyes never leaving Paige as Paige swished her hips, dirty dancing around the stage, teasing her. "We saw the writing on the wall…" Emily sang, surprisingly well. "...as we felt this magical fantasy."

They came together, nearly touching, hips rocking back and forth in unison. "Now with passion in our eyes, there was no way we could disguise it secretly…" They clasped hands. "...So we take each other's hand 'cause we seem to understand the urgency…."

_Just remember_

_You're the one thing_

_I can't get enough of_

_So, I'll tell you something_

_This could be love, because_

_I've had the time of my life_

_No, I never felt this way before_

_Yes, I swear it's the truth_

_And I owe it all to you..._

* * *

**Oh, shit, you guys, the ending of this story is so bittersweet. An old girlfriend once said to me "Always leave a party while you still want to stay..."**

**That is one one of the most awesome pieces of wisdom I've ever received and I apply it every chance i get.**

**Thank you all, so much, for being a part of this story with me (I'm sorry, I've been drinking so, I may gush) but I wish I could express to you how excited I get to read all the reviews and PMs I get after a post. That's why I post at night so I have something to look forward to first thing in the morning and they trickle in all day when I'm at work.**

**I could drag this out another day but I'm really ready for it to be over. It takes a little piece (maybe, sometimes a big piece?) of my soul to write these stories and I'm ready for a break and to regroup.**

**Whatever shall I do next?**

**Maybe, I'll write some Ezria... Oh, shit, that's funny...(Drunk, #sorrynotsorry)**

**If I missed replying to a review or PM please, send it again. I really try to address everyone's questions, comments, concerns but I can't always keep up. Peace and Love, XL**


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